登陆注册
15476700000040

第40章 The Wonderful Book of Magic(1)

Whatever their fears might be, none of Prince Marvel's party hesitated to follow him along the path through the forest in search of the sorcerer, and by and by they came upon a large clearing. In the middle of this open space was a big building in such bad repair that its walls were tumbling down in several places, and all around it the ground was uncared for and littered with rubbish. A man was walking up and down in front of this building, with his head bowed low; but when he heard the sound of approaching horses' hoofs he looked up and stared for a moment in amazement. Then, with a shout of rage, he rushed toward them and caught Prince Marvel's horse by the bridle.

"How dare you!" he cried; "how dare you enter my forest?"

Marvel jerked his bridle from the man's grasp and said in return:

"Who are you?"

"Me! Who am I? Why, I am the great and powerful Kwytoffle! So beware! Beware my sorcery!"

They all looked at the man curiously. He was short and very fat, and had a face like a puff-ball, with little red eyes and scarcely any nose at all. He wore a black gown with scarlet grasshoppers and june-bugs embroidered upon the cloth; and his hat was high and peaked, with an imitation grasshopper of extraordinary size perched upon its point. In his right hand he carried a small black wand, and around his neck hung a silver whistle on a silver cord.

Seeing that the strangers were gazing on him so earnestly, Kwytoffle thought they were frightened; so he said again, in a big voice:

"Beware my vengeance!"

"Beware yourself!" retorted the prince. "For if you do not treat us more respectfully, I shall have you flogged."

"What! Flog me!" shouted Kwytoffle, furiously. "For this I will turn every one of you into grasshoppers--unless you at once give me all the wealth you possess!"

"Poor man!" exclaimed Nerle; "I can see you are longing for that flogging. Will you have it now?" and he raised his riding-whip above his head.

Kwytoffle stumbled backward a few paces and blew shrilly upon his silver whistle. Instantly a number of soldiers came running from the building, others following quickly after them until fully a hundred rough-looking warriors, armed with swords and axes, had formed in battle array, facing the little party of Prince Marvel.

"Arrest these strangers!" commanded Kwytoffle, in a voice like a roar.

"Capture them and bind them securely, and then I will change them all into grasshoppers!"

"All right," answered the captain of the soldiers; and then he turned to his men and shouted: "Forward--double-quick--march!"

They came on with drawn swords; at first running, and then gradually dropping into a walk, as they beheld Nerle, Wul-Takim, King Terribus and Marvel standing quietly waiting to receive them, weapons in hand and ready for battle. A few paces off the soldiers hesitated and stopped altogether, and Kwytoffle yelled at the captain:

"Why don't you go on? Why don't you capture them? Why don't you fight them?"

"Why, they have drawn their swords!" responded the captain, reproachfully.

"Who cares?" roared the sorcerer.

"We care," said the captain, giving a shudder, as he looked upon the strangers. "Their swords are sharp, and some of us would get hurt."

"You're cowards!" shrieked the enraged Kwytoffle. "I'll turn you all into June-bugs!"

At this threat the soldiers dropped their swords and axes, and all fell upon their knees, trembling visibly and imploring their cruel master not to change them into june-bugs.

"Bah!" cried Nerle, scornfully; "why don't you fight? If we kill you, then you will escape being June-bugs."

"The fact is," said the captain, woefully, "we simply can't fight.

For our swords are only tin, and our axes are made of wood, with silver-paper pasted over them."

"But why is that?" asked Wul-Takim, while all the party showed their surprise.

同类推荐
  • 大唐贞元续开元释教录

    大唐贞元续开元释教录

    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。
  • 巩氏族谱

    巩氏族谱

    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。
  • 左忠毅公集

    左忠毅公集

    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。
  • 中山传信录

    中山传信录

    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。
  • 佛古闻禅师语录

    佛古闻禅师语录

    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
  • 见利思义(中华美德)

    见利思义(中华美德)

    《论语·宪问》曰:“见利思义,见危授命,久要不忘平生之言,亦可以为成人矣。”见利思义是中国传统道德处理群己关系的一条基本行为准则,是中华民族重要的传统美德。义和利问题,讲的是道德原则和物质利益的关系问题。义,一般地是指合乎正义和公益的或公正合宜的道理或举动。利,就是指物质利益。见利思义,不是一般地反对“利”,而是指见到利益,应首先想一想符不符合道义,该取的可以取,不该取的不应据为己有,即义然后利,亦即孔子说的“义然后取,人不厌其取”。
  • 时光越界

    时光越界

    因为一扇门,他进入了未知世界,因为想回去,他卷入了历史的洪流中。然而在这神秘的世界,他将又有怎样的经历?又该怎么回去?(初次发表,无论成绩如何,必定认真写完。拒绝太监,拒绝胡乱!写的是心中的传奇。)
  • 凝眸只为你

    凝眸只为你

    我们从误会开始,又从误会结束,缘起缘落,酒醒终究是一场梦,但却无悔,用一切换取你的回眸,今生甘愿沉沦在爱的泥泞里,从此以后,你于天涯,我于海角。――凝柠如果爱可以从来,那么凝眸只为你。――南易
  • 神殿之最后的仪式

    神殿之最后的仪式

    他站在高处楼阁,低头看向骑在马背上谈笑自若的她,问旁边的男子。“那是谁?”静坐在一旁的男子静若大海的一页绿叶,他神色平静说“这是世界上最温柔的女子。”……
  • 大湘西匪殇

    大湘西匪殇

    本书真实、客观地描写了大湘西三大匪帮“鼠大王”瞿伯阶、“彭叫驴子”彭春荣和“古丈魔王”张平的兴衰史,并配有上梁、哭嫁、抢婚等湘西特有的民俗描写,是一部真实再现20世纪20~40年代,大湘西三大强人与他们美丽的压寨夫人田幺妹、周纯莲、杨炳莲在深山密林幽洞中共同开创绿林传奇。
  • 修荒证道录

    修荒证道录

    从诸道末法的21世纪回到天地未开,元气未分的鸿蒙时代,不求证那无上道果,便是白来一场...
  • 霸气王俊凯的迷糊宠妻

    霸气王俊凯的迷糊宠妻

    她,因为一件事,穿越到古代,然后,竟然一见钟情了……祝我们,百年好合
  • 444便利店

    444便利店

    一间便利店,一个人,一只猫!冥冥之中,踏入了不归之路!见鬼之灵魂摆渡人新篇《444号便利店》
  • 追乡记

    追乡记

    一位被父母传走的婴儿,来到一颗新的星球,开始他波澜壮阔的生活。他为了找到真正的父母,披荆斩棘,破除重重困难,最终实现愿望。但什么是故乡呢?难道找到父母就是终点吗?主人公秦政扪心自问,他开始一段征伐,一段心的洗炼,最终在某个地方,某个时刻,他寻找到了答案。
  • 破天三重

    破天三重

    这里是一个世界,这个世界,只要你实力强大,你可以破坏一切潜规则,只要强大你就是正义,你就是主宰,什么道理,全无用,因为想杀你就杀你,不需要什么道理。可怕的存在,奇异的生命,强大的神明,还有阻碍我们发展的天,我们不需要隐忍,因为隐忍只是懦弱,你只需要张狂,在这下一秒死不死的世界里,我们只能继续强大,打破这一切,我不需要一个和平的世界,我只需要混乱无敌的世界,因为,我想当霸王。霸王出世,天地混,我要强大,天地颤,我要毁灭,天地服,哈哈哈!