TWILIGHT LAND

Presently the sky darkened, and it began to thunder
-and rumble. Darker it grew and darker, and the thunder
crashed and roared. The earth trembled under their
feet, and the trees swayed hither and thither as though
tossed by a tempest. Then suddenly the uproar ceased
and all grew as still as death, the clouds rolled away,
and in a moment the sun shone out once more, and
all was calm and serene as it had been before. But
still the princess muttered her conjurations, and as the
prince and the old man looked they beheld a speck that
grew larger and larger, until they saw that it was an
eagle as black as night that was coming swiftly flying
through the sky. Then the queen’s sister also saw it
and ceased from her spells. She drew a little cap of
feathers from her bosom with trembling hands. “Re-
member,” said she to the prince; and, so saying, clapped
the feather cap upon her head. In an instant she herself
- became an eagle—pied, black and white—and, spreading
her wings, leaped into the air.

For a while the two eagles circled around and around;
but at last they dashed against one another, and, grappling
with their talons, tumbled over and over until they struck
the ground close to the two who stood looking.

Then the prince snatched the knife from the ground,
and ran to where they lay struggling. ‘‘ Which was I to
kill?” said he to the old man.

“Are they not birds of a feather?” cried the foster-
father. ‘Kill them both, for then only shall we all be
safe.”

The prince needed no second telling to see the wisdom
of what the old man said. In an instant he struck off the
heads of both the eagles, and thus put an end to both

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