With a graceful salutation the young gentlemen took their leave; and the Dragon rejoiced at their departure, partly that she might indulge her feelings of pleasure at her own light, and partly that she might satisfy a curiosity by which she had long been tormented.
In the clefts of the rocks where she dwelt, she had lately made a wonderful discovery; for, although she had been obliged to crawl through these chasms in darkness, she had learned to distinguish every object by feeling. The productions of Nature, which she was accustomed everywhere to encounter, were all of an irregular kind. At one time she wound her way amongst the points of enormous crystals, at another she was for a moment impeded by the veins of solid silver, and many were the precious stones which her light discovered to her. But, to her great astonishment, she had encountered in a rock, which was securely closed on all sides’ objects which betrayed the plastic hand of man. Smooth walls, which she was unable to ascend; sharp, regular angles, tapering columns and, what was even more wonderful, human figures, round which she had often entwined herself, and which appeared to her to be formed of brass or of polished marble. She was now anxious to behold all these objects with her eyes, and to confirm, by her own observation, what she had hitherto but suspected. She now thought herself capable of illumining with her own light these wonderful subterranean caverns, and indulged the hope of becoming thoroughly acquainted with these astonishing mysteries. She delayed not, and quickly found the opening through which she was accustomed to penetrate into the sanctuary.
Arrived at the place, she looked round with wonder; and though her brilliancy was unable to light the entire cavern, yet many of the objects were sufficiently distinct. With astonishment and awe, she raised her eyes to an illumined niche, in which stood the statue of a venerable King, of pure gold. In size the statue was colossal, but the figure was rather that of a little than of a great man. His well-turned limbs were covered with a simple robe, and his head was encircled by an oaken garland.
Scarcely had the Dragon beheld this venerable form, when the King found utterance, and said, “How comest thou hither?”
“Through the cleft,” answered the Dragon, “in which the gold abides.”
“What is nobler than gold?” asked the King.
“Light,” replied the Dragon.
“And what is more vivid than light?” continued the Monarch.
“Speech,” said the Serpent.
During this conversation the Dragon had looked stealthily around, and observed another noble statue in an adjoining niche. A silver King sat there enthroned, of figure tall and slender: his limbs were enveloped in an embroidered mantle; his crown and sceptre were adorned with precious stones; his countenance wore the serene dignity of pride; and he seemed about to speak, when a dark vein, which ran through the marble of the wall, suddenly became brilliant, and cast a soft light through the whole temple. This light discovered a third King, whose mighty form was cast in brass: he leaned upon a massive club, his head was crowned with laurels; and his proportions resembled a rock rather than a human being.
The Dragon felt a desire to approach a fourth King, who stood before her at a distance; but the wall suddenly opened, the illumined vein hashed like lightning, and became as suddenly extinguished.
A man of middle stature now approached. He was clad in the garb of a peasant: in his hand he bore a lamp, the flame of which it was delightful to behold, and which lightened the entire dwelling, without leaving the trace of a shadow.
“Why cost thou come, since we have already light?” asked the Golden King.
“You know that I can shed no ray on what is dark,” replied the old man.
“Will my kingdom end?” inquired the Silver Monarch.
“Late or never,” answered the other.
The Brazen King then asked, with voice of thunder, “When shall I arise?”
“Soon,” was the reply.
“With whom shall I be united?” continued the former.
“With thine elder brother,” answered the latter.
“And what will become of the youngest?”
“He will repose.”
“I am not weary,” interrupted the fourth King, with a deep but faltering voice.
During this conversation the Dragon had wound her way softly through the temple, surveyed everything which it contained, and approached the niche in which the fourth King stood. He leaned against a pillar, and his handsome countenance bore traces of melancholy. It was difficult to distinguish the metal of which the statue was composed. It resembled a mixture of the three metals of which his brothers were formed, but it seemed as if the materials had not thoroughly blended; as the veins of gold and silver crossed each other irregularly through the brazen mass, and destroyed the effect of the whole.
The Golden King now asked, “How many secrets dost thou know?”
“Three,” was the reply.
“And which is the most important?” inquired the Silver King.
“The revealed,” answered the old man.
“Wilt thou explain it to us?” asked the Brazen King.
“When I have learned the fourth,” was the response.
“I care not,” murmured he of the strange compound.
“I know the fourth,” interrupted the Dragon, approaching the old man, and whispering in his ear.
“The time is come,” exclaimed the latter, with tremendous voice. The sounds echoed through the temple; the statues rang again: and in the same instant the old man disappeared toward the west, and the Dragon toward the east; and both pierced instantly through the impediments of the rock.
Every passage through which the old man bent his course became immediately filled with gold; for the lamp which he carried possessed the wonderful property of converting stones into gold, wood into silver, and dead animals into jewels. But, in order to produce this effect, it was necessary that no other light should be near. In the presence of another light the lamp merely emitted a soft illumination, which, however, gave joy to every living thing.
The old man returned to his hut on the brow of the hill, and found his wife in the greatest sorrow. She was seated at the fire, her eyes filled with tears; and she refused all consolation.
“What a misfortune,” she exclaimed, “that I allowed you to leave home today!”
“What has happened?” answered the old man, very quietly.
“You were scarcely gone,” replied she with sobs, “before two rude travellers came to the door: unfortunately I admitted them; as they seemed good, worthy people. They were attired like flames, and might have passed for Will-o’-the-wisps; but they had scarcely entered the house before they commenced their flatteries, and became at length so importunate that I blush to recollect their conduct.”
“Well,” said the old man, smiling, “the gentlemen were only amusing themselves; and, at your age, you should have considered it as the display of ordinary politeness.”
“My age!” rejoined the old woman. “Will you for ever remind me of my age? How old am I, then? And ordinary politeness! But I can tell you something: look round at the walls of our hut: you will now be able to see the old stones, which have been concealed for more than a hundred years. These visitors extracted all the gold more quickly than I can tell you, and they assured me that it was of capital flavour. When they had completely cleared the walls, they grew cheerful; and, in a few minutes, their persons became tall, broad, and shining. They thereupon again commenced their tricks, and repeated their flatteries, calling me a queen. They shook themselves, and immediately a profusion of gold pieces fell on all sides. You may see some of them still glittering on the Door, but a calamity soon occurred. Our dog Mops swallowed some of them; and, see, he lies dead in the chimney corner. Poor animal! His death afflicts me. I did not observe it till they had departed, otherwise I should not have promised to pay the Ferryman the debt they owed him.”
“How much do they owe?” inquired the old man.
“Three cauliflowers,” answered his wife, “three artichokes,
