Page 93 [93]
OCR
ME CASTLES OF LIFE ered with tired birds, resting to regain strength before crossing the sea, and Fido had only to stoop down to find game worthy of a prince. Satiated with eating, he stretched himself at Graceful’s feet and slept soundly. When the buffaloes had finished chewmg their cud, Graceful, who had hitherto feared to disturb them, entered into conversation with the bull, who showed a cultivated mind and wide experience. " Are you the masters of this rich domain?" asked he. "No, replied the old buffalo; "we belong, with all the rest, to the Fairy Crapaudine, the Queen of the Vermilion Towers, the richest of all the fairies.”’ " What does she require of you?" asked Graceful. ** Nothing, except to wear this gold ring in the nose and to pay her a tribute of milk," returned the bull, “or, at most, to give her one of our children from time to time to regale her guests. At this price we enjoy our plenty in perfect security, and we have no reason to envy any on earth, for none are so happy as we." " Have you never heard of the Castle of Life and the Fountain of Immortality?” asked Graceful, who, without knowing why, blushed as he put the question. - There were some old men among our ancestors who still talked of these visions,” replied the bull; "but we are wiser than our fathers; we know that there is no other happiness than to chew the cud and sleep." 67
