TWILIGHT LAND

The fisherman had never seen so much wealth in all his
life before, and he stood like a man turned to stone.

“Ts all this mine?” said the fisherman.

“Tt is,” said the beautiful lady.

“Then God bless your pretty eyes,” said the fisher-
man. a

Then the magician . kissed the beautiful lady, and,
beckoning to the fisherman, left the throne-room the same
way that they had come. The noblemen, in silks and
satins and velvets, marched ahead, and back they went
through the other apartments, until at last they came to
the door.

Out they stepped, and then what do you suppose hap-
pened ?

If the wonderful palace had grown like a bubble, like a
bubble it vanished. There the two stood on the sea-
shore, with nothing to be seen but rocks and sand and
water, and the starry sky overhead.

The fisherman shook his cap of gold, and it jingled and
tinkled, and was as heavy as lead. If it was not all a
dream, he was rich for life. “But anyhow,” said he,
‘they might have given a body a bite to eat.”

The magician put on his red clothes and his face again,
making himself as hoary and as old as before. He took
out his flint and steel, and his sticks of spice-wood and
his grey powder, and made a great fire and smoke just as
he had done before. Then again he tied his handker-
chief over the fisherman’s eyes. ‘“ Remember,” said he,
“what I told you when we started upon our journey.
Keep your mouth tight shut, for if you utter so much as a
single word you are a lost man. Now throw your leg
over what you feel and hold fast.”

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