TWILIGHT LAND

her body hung golden robes, set with diamonds and
‘emeralds and rubies and: sapphires and pearls and all
sorts of precious stones.

As for the face of the statue, white paper and black ink
could not tell you how beautiful it was. When Selim
looked at it, it made his heart stand still in his breast, it
was so beautiful.

The six men brought Selim up in front of the statue,
and then a voice came as though from the vaulted roof:
“Selim! Selim! Selim!” it said, “ what art thou doing ?
To-day is feasting and drinking and merry-making, but
beware of to-morrow !”

As soon as these words were ended the six black men
marched King Selim back whence they had brought him ;
there they left him and passed out one by one as they had
first come in, and the door shut to behind them.

Then in an instant the lights flashed out again, the
music began to play and the people began to talk and
laugh, and King Selim thought that maybe all that had
just passed was only a bit of an ugly dream after all.

So that is the way King Selim the Baker began to reign,
and that is the way he continued to reign. All day was
feasting and drinking and making merry and music and
laughing and talking. But every night at midnight the
same thing happened: the lights went out, all the people
began wailing and crying, and the six tall, terrible black
men came with flashing torches and marched King Selim
away to the beautiful statue. And every night the same
voice said— Selim! Selim! Selim ! What art thou doing ?
To-day is feasting and drinking and merry-making, but
beware of to-morrow!”

So things went on for a twelvemonth, and at last came

2.04.