Stranica 95 [95]
toe CAS TE GOK LIFE
disturb either my calculations, or a serenity which I owe
to myself alone."
Graceful called Pensive three times without making her
hear, so completely was she engrossed in admiration of her
new friend. Every instant some giddy fly fell into the web,
and each time the spider, like an attentive hostess, offered
the prey to her astonished companion, when suddenly a
breeze passed—a breeze so light that it did not ruffle a
feather of the swallow’s wing. Pensive looked for the
spider; the web had been swept away by the winds, and
the poor insect was clinging by one foot to the last thread,
when a bird seized it and bore it away.
V
Setting out again on their way, they proceeded in silence
to the palace of Crapaudine. Graceful was introduced
with great ceremony by two beautiful greyhounds, capari¬
soned with purple and wearing on their necks broad collars
sparkling with rubies. After crossing a great number of
halls, all full of pictures, statues, gold, and silver, and coffers
overflowing with money and jewels, Graceful and his com¬
panions entered a circular temple, which was Crapaudine’s
drawing-room. The walls were of lapis-lazuli, and the
ceiling, of sky-blue enamel, was supported by twelve
chiseled pillars of massive gold, with capitals of acanthus
leaves of white enamel edged with gold. A huge frog,
6 69