Journeys Through Bookland V3

C >> Charles H. Sylvester >> Journeys Through Bookland V3

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27

The spot where it left me was encompassed on all sides by mountains
that seemed to reach above the clouds, and were so steep that there
was no possibility of getting out of the valley. This was a new
perplexity; so that when I compared this place with the desert island
from which the roc had brought me, I found that I had gained nothing
by the change.

As I walked through this valley, I perceived it was strewed with
diamonds, some of which were of surprising bigness. I took pleasure in
looking upon them; but shortly saw at a distance such objects as
greatly diminished my satisfaction, and which I could not view without
terror, namely, a great number of serpents, so monstrous that the
least of them was capable of swallowing an elephant. They retired in
the day time to their dens, where they hid themselves from the roc,
their enemy, and came out only in the night.

I spent the day in walking about the valley, resting myself at times
in such places as I thought most convenient. When night came on I went
into a cave, where I thought I might repose in safety. I secured the
entrance, which was low and narrow, with a great stone, to preserve me
from the serpents; but not so far as to exclude the light. I supped on
part of my provisions, but the serpents, which began hissing round me,
put me into such extreme fear that I did not sleep. When day appeared
the serpents retired, and I came out of the cave trembling. I can
justly say that I walked upon diamonds without feeling any inclination
to touch them. At last I sat down, and notwithstanding my
apprehensions, not having closed my eyes during the night, fell
asleep, after having eaten a little more of my provisions. But I had
scarcely shut my eyes when something that fell by me with a great
noise awaked me. This was a large piece of raw meat; and at the same
time I saw several others fall down from the rocks in different
places.

I had always regarded as fabulous what I had heard sailors and others
relate of the valley of diamonds, and of the stratagems employed by
merchants to obtain jewels from thence; but now I found that they had
stated nothing but the truth.

For the fact is, that the merchants come to the neighborhood of this
valley, when the eagles have young ones, and throw great joints of
meat into the valley; the diamonds, upon whose points they fall, stick
to them, and the eagles, which are stronger in this country than
anywhere else, pounce with great force upon those pieces of meat, and
carry them to their nests on the precipices of the rocks to feed their
young. The merchants at this time run to the nests, disturb and drive
off the eagles by their shouts, and take away the diamonds that stick
to the meat.

I perceived in this device the means of my deliverance.

[Illustration: THE ROC FLEW AWAY WITH SINBAD]

Having collected together the largest diamonds I could find, and put
them into the leather bag in which I used to carry my provisions, I
took the largest of the pieces of meat, tied it close round me with
the cloth of my turban, and then laid myself upon the ground, with my
face downward, the bag of diamonds being made fast to my girdle.

I had scarcely placed myself in this posture, when one of the eagles,
having taken me up with the piece of meat to which I was fastened,
carried me to his nest on the top of the mountain. The merchants
immediately began their shouting to frighten the eagles; and when they
had obliged them to quit their prey, one of them came to the nest
where I was. He was much alarmed when he saw me; but recovering
himself, instead of inquiring how I came thither, began to quarrel
with me, and asked why I stole his goods. "You will treat me," replied
I, "with more civility, when you know me better. Do not be uneasy; I
have diamonds enough for you and myself, more than all the other
merchants together. Whatever they have they owe to chance; but I
selected for myself, in the bottom of the valley, those which you see
in this bag." I had scarcely done speaking, when the other merchants
came crowding about us, much astonished to see me; but they were much
more surprised when I told them my story.

They conducted me to their encampment; and when I had opened my bag,
they were surprised at the largeness of my diamonds, and confessed
that they had never seen any of such size and perfection. I prayed the
merchant who owned the nest to which I had been carried (for every
merchant had his own) to take as many of his share as he pleased. He
contented himself with one, and that, too, the least of them; and when
I pressed him to take more, without fear of doing me any injury, "No,"
said he, "I am very well satisfied with this, which is valuable enough
to save me the trouble of making any more voyages, and will raise as
great a fortune as I desire."

I spent the night with the merchants, to whom I related my story a
second time, for the satisfaction of those who had not heard it. I
could not moderate my joy when I found myself delivered from the
danger I have mentioned. I thought myself in a dream, and could
scarcely believe myself out of danger.

The merchants had thrown their pieces of meat into the valley for
several days; and each of them being satisfied with the diamonds that
had fallen to his lot, we left the place the next morning, and
traveled near high mountains, where there were serpents of a
prodigious length, which we had the good fortune to escape. We took
shipping at the first port we reached, and touched at the isle of
Roha.

In this island is found the rhinoceros, an animal less than the
elephant, but larger than the buffalo. It has a horn upon its nose,
about a cubit in length; this horn is solid, and cleft through the
middle. The rhinoceros fights with the elephant, runs his horn into
his belly, and carries him off upon his head; but the blood and the
fat of the elephant run into his eyes and make him blind, and he falls
to the ground. Then, strange to relate, the roc comes and carries them
both away in her claws, for food for her young ones.

I pass over many other things peculiar to this island, lest I should
weary you. Here I exchanged some of my diamonds for merchandise. From
thence we went to other islands, and at last, having touched at
several trading towns of the continent, we landed at Bussorah, from
whence I proceeded to Bagdad. There I immediately gave large presents
to the poor, and lived honorably upon the vast riches I had brought,
and gained with so much fatigue.

BARBARA FRIETCHIE

By JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER.

Up from the meadows rich with corn,
Clear in the cool September morn,

The clustered spires of Frederick stand
Green-walled by the hills of Maryland.

Round about them orchards sweep,
Apple and peach tree fruited deep,

Fair as the garden of the Lord
To the eyes of the famished rebel horde,

On that pleasant morn of the early fall
When Lee marched over the mountain wall,--

Over the mountains, winding down,
Horse and foot into Frederick town.

Forty flags with their silver stars,
Forty flags with their crimson bars,

Flapped in the morning wind; the sun
Of noon looked down, and saw not one.

Up rose old Barbara Frietchie then,
Bowed with her fourscore years and ten;

Bravest of all in Frederick town,
She took up the flag the men hauled down;

In her attic-window the staff she set,
To show that one heart was loyal yet.

Up the street came the rebel tread,
Stonewall Jackson riding ahead.

Under his slouched hat, left and right
He glanced: the old flag met his sight.

"Halt!"--the dust-brown ranks stood fast.
"Fire!"--out blazed the rifle-blast.

It shivered the window, pane and sash;
It rent the banner with seam and gash.

Quick, as it fell, from the broken staff
Dame Barbara snatched the silken scarf;

She leaned far out on the window-sill.
And shook it forth with a royal will.

"Shoot, if you must, this old gray head,
But spare your country's flag," she said.

A shade of sadness, a blush of shame,
Over the face of the leader came;

The nobler nature within him stirred
To life at that woman's deed and word:

"Who touches a hair of yon gray head
Dies like a dog! March on!" he said.

All day long through Frederick street
Sounded the tread of marching feet:

All day long that free flag tost
Over the heads of the rebel host.

Ever its torn folds rose and fell
On the loyal winds that loved it well;

And through the hill-gaps sunset light
Shone over it with a warm good-night.

Barbara Frietchie's work is o'er,
And the rebel rides on his raids no more.

Honor to her! and let a tear
Fall, for her sake, on Stonewall's bier.

Over Barbara Frietchie's grave,
Flag of freedom and union, wave!

Peace and order and beauty draw
Round thy symbol of light and law;

And ever the stars above look down
On thy stars below in Frederick town!

BEOWULF AND GRENDEL

NOTE.--The oldest poem in the English language is Beowulf, which
covers some six thousand lines. When it was written is not exactly
known, but the original is still in existence in the British Museum.
It was written in Anglo-Saxon and could not be read and understood by
us to-day. It has, however, been translated and turned into modern
English, and its quaintness of phrasing gives it a very peculiar charm
of its own.

An old Anglo-Saxon poem bears little resemblance to ours. There is no
rhyme, and the lines are not equal in length, and there does not seem
to be much music in it. One of its poetic characteristics is
alliteration; that is, several words in the same line begin with the
same or similar sounds. It is a noble old poem, however, and of great
interest, for it shows us what the old Saxon gleemen sang at their
feasts for the entertainment of their guests, as they sat about the
blazing fires in the huge, rude halls, drinking their mead.

The chief incident in the poem is Beowulf's battle with Grendel, and a
description of that, taken indirectly from the poem, is the story that
follows. After this combat Beowulf returned to his home, in time was
made king, and after a stormy life died from wounds received in combat
with a terrible fire fiend.

When the history of the Danes begins they had no kings and suffered
much at the hands of their neighbors. Then by way of the sea, from
some unknown land, came Scef, who subdued the neighboring tribes and
established the Danish throne on a firm foundation. His son and his
son's son followed him, but the latter sailed away as his grandfather
had come, and the race of ruler gods was ended.

Left to themselves, the Danes chose a king who ruled long and well and
left his son Hrothgar to make of them a wealthy and prosperous people.

After years of warfare, when the prosperity of Hrothgar was fully
established, it came into his mind to build a great hall where he and
his warriors and counselors could meet around one common banquet table
and where, as they drank their mead, they could discuss means for
increasing their power and making better the condition of their
peoples. High-arched and beautiful was the great mead-palace, with
towering pinnacles and marvelous walls, and the name that he gave to
the palace was Heorot, the HART or, as some say, the HEART. When the
noble building was finished, Hrothgar's heart was filled with joy, and
he gave to his counselors a noble feast, at which he presented them
with rings and ornaments and entertained them with music on the harps
and the inspiring songs of the Skalds.

Far away in the marshes, in the dark and solemn land where dwelt the
Jotuns, the giants who warred against God's people, lived the grim and
ferocious Grendel, more terrible than any of his brethren. From out of
the fastnesses of his gloomy home he saw the fair building of Hrothgar
and grew jealous of the Danish king, hating the united people, for
peace and harmony were evil in his sight.

The feast was long over, and the thanes and warriors slept in the
banquet hall, worn out by their rejoicing, but dreaming only of the
peaceful days to follow their long years of warfare. Into the midst of
the hall crept Grendel, and seized in his mighty arms full thirty of
the sleeping men and carried them away to his noisome home, where he
feasted at leisure upon their bodies.

The next morning there was grief and terror among the remaining Danes,
for they knew that no human being could have wrought such havoc and
that no human power could prevail against the monster who preyed upon
them.

The next night Grendel came again and levied his second tribute, and
again there was mourning and desolation in the land. Thus for twelve
years the monster giant came at intervals and carried away many of the
noblest in the kingdom. Then were there empty homes everywhere in the
land, and sorrow and suffering came where joy and peace had rested.
Strange as it may seem, Hrothgar himself was never touched, though he
sat the night long watching his nobles as they slept in the mead-hall,
hoping himself to deliver them from the awful power that harassed
them. But night after night Grendel came, and while Hrothgar remained
unharmed he was equally powerless to stay the ravages of the giant.
Hrothgar bowed his head in sorrow and prayed to his gods to send help
before all his noble vassals perished.

Far to the westward, among strange people, lived a man, the strongest
and greatest of his race, Beowulf by name. To him came the news of
Grendel's deeds and of Hrothgar's sorrow, and his soul was filled with
a fiery ambition to free the Danes. From among his warriors he
selected fifteen of the boldest and strongest, and put out to sea in a
new ship, pitched within and without, to seek the land of the Danes
and to offer his help to Hrothgar. Over the white sea waves dashed the
noble vessel, flinging the foam aside from her swanlike prow until
before her showed the cliffs and wind-swept mountain sides of Denmark.
Giving thanks to God for their prosperous voyage, they landed, donned
their heavy armor and marched in silence to the palace Heorot.

Entering the hall with clanking armor they set their brazen shields
against the wall, piled their steel-headed spears in a heap by the
door, and bowed to Hrothgar, who, bowed with sorrow and years, sat
silently among his earls. When Beowulf rose among his warriors he
towered high above them, godlike in his glittering armor. Hrothgar
looked on him in wonder, but felt that he saw in the mighty man a
deliverer sent in answer to his prayer.

Before Hrothgar could recover from his surprise and delight, Beowulf
stretched forth his powerful arms and spoke: "Hail, Hrothgar, king of
the Danes. Many a time and oft have I fought with the Jotuns, evil and
powerful, and every time have I overcome, and now have I come unto the
land of the Danes to undertake battle with the fierce Grendel. No
human weapon hath power against a Jotun, so here in your mead-hall
leave I my weapons all, and empty-handed and alone will I pit my
strength against the horrid Grendel. Man to man, strength to strength,
will I fight, till victory is mine or death befalleth me.

"If I perish, give my companions my shroud and send it home by them in
my new ship across the sea. Let there be no mourning for me, for to
every man Fate cometh at last."

Hrothgar answered, "Noble you are, O Beowulf, and powerful, but
terrible indeed is Grendel. Many a time at eventide have my warriors
fearlessly vowed to await the coming of Grendel and to fight with him
as you propose; but when morning came, the floor of Heorot was deep
with their blood, but no other trace of them remained. Before,
however, we accept your valiant offer, sit this night at meat, where,
by our old and honored custom, we incite each other to heroic deeds
and valorous behavior, when night shall come and Grendel claim his
prey."

A royal feast it was that the old king gave that night, and the golden
mead flowed from the twisted cups in living streams, while the Skalds
sang the valorous deeds of heroic Danes of old.

Then rose Beowulf to speak. "To-night Grendel cometh again, expecting
no one to fight him for many a time hath he levied his toll and
escaped without harm. Here alone with myself will I keep vigil, and
alone will I fight the foul fiend. To-morrow morning the sun will
glorify my victory or I shall be a corpse in the dark and noisome home
of the ogre."

The eye of the gray-haired king grew bright again as he listened to
the brave words of Beowulf, and from her throne the queen in her
bejeweled garments stepped down to Beowulf and presented him the
loving-cup with words of gracious encouragement.

"No more shall Grendel feast upon the bodies of royal Danes, for to-
night his foul body shall feel the powerful grip of my mighty hands,"
said Beowulf.

To their proper resting places in the hall stepped the Danish
warriors, one by one, filing in a steady line past the great Beowulf,
to whom each gave kindly greeting. Last of all came Hrothgar, and as
he passed, he grasped the strong fingers of Beowulf and said, "To your
keeping I leave my great hall, Heorot. Never before have I passed the
duty on to any man. Be thou brave and valiant, and if victory cometh
to thee no reward shall be too great for thy service."

And so the king departed, and silence fell over Heorot.

Left alone, Beowulf laid aside his iron mail, took off his brazen
helmet and ungirded his trusty sword. Then unarmed and unprotected he
lay down upon his bed. All about the palace slept, but Beowulf could
find no rest upon his couch.

In the dim light of the early morn, forth from the pale mists of the
marshes, stalked Grendel, up to the door of the many-windowed Heorot.
Fire-strengthened were the iron bands with which the doors were bound,
but he tore them away like wisps of straw and walked across the
sounding tiles of the many-colored floor. Like strokes of vivid
lightning flashed the fire from his eyes, making before him all things
as clear as noonday. Beowulf, on his sleepless couch, held his breath
as the fierce ogre gloated savagely over the bountiful feast he saw
spread before him in the bodies of the sleeping Danes. With moistening
lips he trod among the silent braves, and Beowulf saw him choose the
strongest and noblest of them all. Quickly the monster stooped, seized
the sleeping earl, and with one fierce stroke of his massive jaw, tore
open the throat of the warrior and drank his steaming blood. Then he
tore the corpse limb from limb and with horrid glee crunched the bones
of his victim's hands.

[Illustration: GRENDEL COULD NOT BREAK THAT GRIP OF STEEL.]

Then spying the sleeping Beowulf he dropped his mangled prey and laid
his rough hands on his watchful enemy. Suddenly Beowulf raised himself
upon one elbow and fastened his strong grip on the astonished Jotun.
Never before had Grendel felt such a grip of steel. He straightened
his mighty back and flung the clinging Beowulf toward the door, but
never for a moment did the brave champion relax his fierce grip, and
the ogre was thrown back into the center of the hall. Together they
fell upon the beautiful pavement and rolled about in their mighty
struggles till the walls of the palace shook as in a hurricane and the
very pinnacles toppled from their secure foundations. The walls of
Heorot fell not, but the floor was strewn with broken benches whose
gold trappings were torn like paper, while the two struggled on the
floor in the wreck of drinking horns and costly vessels from the
tables, while over all slopped ale from the mammoth tankards. Backward
and forward they struggled, sometimes upon their feet and again upon
the floor; but with all his fearsome struggles, Grendel could not
break that grip of steel. At last, with one mighty wrench, Grendel
tore himself free, leaving in the tightly locked hands of Beowulf his
strong right arm and even his shoulder blade, torn raggedly from his
body. Roaring with pain from the gaping wound which extended from neck
to waist, the ogre fled to the marshes, into whose slimy depths he
fell; and there he slowly bled to death. Fair shone the sun on Heorot
the next morning when the warriors came from all directions to
celebrate the marvelous prowess of Beowulf, who stalked in triumph
through the hall with his bloody trophy held on high. Close by the
throne of the king he hung Grendel's shoulder, arm, and hand, where
all might see and test the strength of its mighty muscles and the
steel-like hardness of its nails, which no human sword of choicest
steel could mark or mar. With bursting heart, Hrothgar thanked God for
his deliverance and gave credit to Beowulf for his valorous deed.
First was the wreck of the savage encounter cleared away, then were
the iron bands refastened on the door and the tables spread for a
costly feast of general rejoicing. There amid the songs of the Skalds
and the shouts of the warriors, the queen poured forth the sacred mead
and handed it to Beowulf in the royal cup of massive gold. As the
rejoicing grew more general, the king showered gifts upon Beowulf, an
ensign and a helm, a breastplate and a sword, each covered with
twisted gold and set with precious stones. Eight splendid horses,
trapped in costly housings trimmed with golden thread and set with
jewels, were led before Beowulf, and their silken bridles were laid
within his hand. With her own hand the queen gave him a massive ring
of russet gold sparkling with diamonds, the finest in the land.

"May happiness and good fortune attend thee, Beowulf," she said, "and
ever may these well-earned gifts remind thee of those whom thou hast
succored from deadly peril; and as the years advance may fame roll in
upon thee as roll the billows upon the rocky shores of our beloved
kingdom."

When the feast was over Hrothgar and his queen departed from the hall,
and Beowulf retired to the When the feast was over Hrothgar and his
queen departed from the hall, and Beowulf retired to the house they
had prepared for him. But the warriors remained as was their custom,
and, girt in their coats of chained mail, with swords ready at hand,
they lay down upon the floor to sleep, prepared to answer on the
instant any call their lord should make. Dense darkness closed upon
the hall, and the Danes slept peacefully, unaware that danger
threatened.

When midnight came, out of the cold waters of the reedy fastnesses in
the marsh came Grendel's mother, fierce and terrible in her wrath,
burning to avenge the death of her son. Like Grendel she wrenched the
door from its iron fastenings and trod across the figured floor of
Heorot. With bitter malice she seized the favorite counselor of
Hrothgar and rent his body limb from limb. Then seizing from the wall
the arm and shoulder of her son she ran quickly from the hall and hid
herself in her noisome lair.

The noise of her savage work aroused the sleeping Danes, and so loud
were their cries of anger and dismay that Hrothgar heard, and rushed
forth to Heorot, where Beowulf met him.

As soon as Hrothgar heard what had happened he turned to Beowulf and
cried, "O, mighty champion of the Danes, yet again has grief and
sorrow come upon me, for my favorite war companion and chief counselor
has been foully murdered by Grendel's mother, nor can we tell who next
will suffer from the foul fiend's wrath.

[Illustration: BEOWULF ON HIS NOBLE STEED]

"Scarcely a mile from this place, in the depths of a grove of moss-
covered trees, which are hoary with age, and whose interlacing
branches shut out the light of the sun, lies a stagnant pool. Around
the edges of its foul black water twine the snake-like roots of the
trees, and on its loathsome surface at night the magic fires burn
dimly. In the midst of the pond, shunned alike by man and beast, lives
the wolf-like mother of Grendel. Darest thou to enter its stagnant
depths to do battle with the monster and to deliver us from her
ravages?"

Straightening his massive form and throwing back his head in fierce
determination, Beowulf replied, "To avenge a friend is better than to
mourn for him. No man can hasten or delay by a single moment his death
hour. What fate awaiteth me I know not, but I dare anything to wreak
vengeance on the foul murderer, and in my efforts to bring justice I
take no thought of the future."

Then the king Hrothgar ordered a noble steed with arching neck and
tossing mane to be saddled and brought forth for the noble Beowulf to
ride. Shield bearers by the score accompanied him as he rode on the
narrow bridle path, between those dark-frowning cliffs whose rugged
trees dimmed the sun and made the journey seem as though it were in
twilight. In such a manner came they to the desolate lake in the
gloomy wood.

The sight that met the eyes of Beowulf was enough to chill the blood
of any man. On the shore among the tangled roots of the trees crawled
hideous poisonous snakes, while on the surface of the water rolled
great sea dragons, whose ugly crests were raised in anger and alarm.
From the turbid depths of the water, unholy animals of strange and
fearful shapes kept coming to the surface and swimming about with
threatening mien.

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27