the 13 clocksThurber

Jgiaa*ÂŤ'SÂŤi

illustrated

bu marc Simont

n_OW can anyone describe book?

this

It isn't

a fairy story or a

a parable,

poem, but

rather a mixture of

beautiful

It is

It

is

and

three.

all

it is

comic.

philosophical and

cheery.

What we

we

are trying

say

is,

in a

it

is

suppose

fumbhngly to

word, that

it

is

Thurber.

There reasons

are

why

only

a

few

everybody has

always wanted to read

this

[continued on hack flay]

$3-95

^

W

1 PRINT F T.

Thurber, James.

THE 13 CLOCKS. c.

1

i

HATr. — PRINT F

T.

Thurber, Oames THE 13 CLOCKS, c.

1

S

LIBRARY IOWA COMMISSION FOR THE BUND Fourth wd KeoMttqna Way Des Moines, Iowa 50309

\

Digitized by the Internet Archive in

2012 with funding from

National Federation of the Blind (NFB)

http://archive.org/details/13clocks00jame

JAMES THURBER

erne

IB

ClOCkS

ILLUSTRATED

BY

MARK SIMONT

5imon and 5chu5tcr NEW YORK

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INCLUDING THE RIGHT OF REPRODUCTION IN

WHOLE OR

IN

PART IN ANY FORM

COPYRIGHT, I95O, BY JAMES THURBER PUBLISHED BY SIMON AND SCHUSTER, INC.

ROCKEFELLER CENTER, I23O SIXTH AVENUE NEW YORK 20, N. Y. NINTH PRINTING

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

BY REEHL LITHO, INC.

BOUND BY H. WOLFF MFG. CO., HAND SET BY HOWARD O. BULLARD,

INC.

To

who cast

Jap and Helen Glide

have broken more than one

upon the author by this

book

is

a

spell

witch or wizard,

warmly dedicated.

FOREWORD

1 wrote The Thirteen Clocks

had gone to

m

Bermuda, where

finish another book.

The

shift to this

one was an example of escapism and gence. Unless

byways

modern

occasionally,

Man I

wanders

do not 11

see

I

self-indul-

down these how he can

hope to preserve

his sanity.

I

must apologize

to

my publishers and to the talented Marc Simont, who were forced to keep up with the constant small changes

I

insisted

on making

the time,

all

even in the galley proofs. In the end they took the

book away from me, on the ground

was

finished

and that

I

was

They had me

want

I

up and down

secret

there.

to thank these helpful friends:

Sara Linda Williams, for letting

name

it

just having fun tink-

ering with clocks and running stairs.

that

on oleanders

instead of frees las,

use her

who

(Miss Williams,

for the Princess

four, insisted

me

m

is

the Princess's hair

and there were several

ing conferences about this, from

which

I

gruel-

barely

emerged the winner); John and Nelga Young,

who

provided, the

story; Fritzi

Kuegelgen,

magic of her

some

five

end

own

to

place to write

who was

able

make out and

the

by some transcribe

hundred sheets of pencil scrawl and

to read the to

perfect

whole thing aloud from beginning

at least a

dozen times; Ronnie and Janey 12

Williams, for brightening the weather by their presence on an island

m

the ocean seas; and

wife, for constructive criticism and for

my

waking me

out of nightmares, some of them about the Todal, I

suppose, but the worst ones, on the darkest

nights, about the

whole

enterprise

m

J.T.

West Cornwall Connecticut

13

general.

(DlCI3€lDChS

P-^rd.

I

NCE

upon

gloomy hill,

castle

where

time, in

a

on

there

a

a

lonely

were

thir-

teen clocks that wouldn't go, there lived a cold, aggressive

Duke, and Princess Saralmda.

She was

his niece, the

warm

and weather, but he was always

were

as

in every

cold. His

wind hands

cold as his smile and almost as cold as

He wore

gloves

when

and he wore gloves

when

he was awake, which

made

him

his heart.

it

difficult for

to pick

he was asleep,

up

pins or coins

or the kernels of nuts, or to tear the nightingales.

He was

six feet four,

wings from

and

forty-six,

and even colder than he thought he was. One eye 17

wore a

through

a velvet patch; the other glittered

monocle, which made half his body seem closer

to

you than

when he was

one eye

lost

twelve, for he was fond of peering

into nests

and

to maul.

One

mauled him

He had

the other half.

search of birds and animals

lairs in

afternoon, a mother shrike had

m

His nights were spent

first.

evil

dreams, and his days were given to wicked schemes.

Wickedly scheming, he would limp and through the cold corridors of the

new

He

did not wish to give her hand in

marriage, since her

the castle.

the hands of

They had

all

hand was the only warm hand

Even the hands of all

watch and

frozen at the same time, on a

and

always ten minutes to

m the

five

and mariners would look up

on the lonely

his

the thirteen clocks were frozen.

night, seven years before,

It's

planning

impossible feats for the suitors of Saralmda

to perform.

m

castle,

cackle

hill

always Then.

and It's

say,

castle.

the

"Time

never 18

at

after that

it

was

Travelers

gloomy

lies

Now."

snowy

castle

frozen there.

The has

cold

Duke was

Now,

warmth and urgency, and Then

buried.

Now

might bring

and shining courage muttered. a

afraid of

see

a strange perversity,

Duke

high to reach,

burden too heavy to

afraid of

with the clocks to

knight of gay

will break himself against

labor: a place too

a thing too far to find, a

The Duke was

dead and

— "But, no!" the cold

"The Prince

new and awful

a certain

is

Now

for

if

Now,

lift."

but he tampered

they would go, out of

praying that they wouldn't.

Tinkers and tinkerers and a few wizards

who

happened bv tned to

tools

or magic words, or

with

start the clocks

bv shaking them and

cursing,

but nothmg whirred or ticked. The clocks were dead, and in the end, brooding on

the

it,

decided he had murdered time, slam

Duke

with

his

sword, and wiped his bloodv blade upon

its

beard and minutes, its

left it

lving there, bleeding hours and

uncoiled

springs

its

pendulum

different lengths.

his

because,

sprawlmg,

The

when

right

his

were of

legs

one had outgrown the

he was voting, he had spent

mornings place-kicking pups and punting

tens.

He would

sav to

a suitor,

ference in the length of

vouth

replied,

other," the

"Whv,

mv

one

is

"What legs?"

kit-

the dif-

is

and

if

the

shorter than the

Duke would run him through with

the

sword he

him

to the geese.

::

and

disintegrating.

The Duke limped because

left

it

\\ hv, one

is

carried in his

The

suitor

swordcane and feed

was supposed

longer than the other."

to sav,

Manv

a

prince had been run through for naming the

20

wrong

difference.

Others had been slam

for of-

fenses equally trivial: trampling the Duke's camel-

wines, staring too long

failing to praise his

lias,

at his gloves,

who

gazing too long

at his niece.

survived his scorn and sword were given

incredible labors to perform in order to niece's hand, the

only

where time had frozen five

warm hand

win

his

in the castle,

to death at ten minutes to

one snowy night. They were told to cut

a

of moon, or change the ocean into wine.

slice

They were

set to finding things that

and building things and

Those

tried

came

and

again.

for using

that could not be.

failed

And

They came

and disappeared and never

some,

names that

never were,

as

start

I

have

said,

were slam,

with X, or dropping

spoons, or wearing rings, or speaking disrespectfully of sin.

The

castle

and the Duke grew colder, and

Saralmda, as a princess will, even

time

lies

frozen,

little older.

became

m a place where

a little older,

but only a

She was nearly twenty-one the day

prince, disguised as a minstrel,

22

a

came singing to the

town

that lay

below the

Xmgu, which was

He

called himself

not his name, and dangerous,

name began with

since the

He was,

castle.

X — and

still

does.

quite properly, a thing of shreds and

patches, a ragged minstrel, singing for pennies

the love of singing. himself,

Xmgu,

as

he so rashly called

was the youngest son of a powerful

but he had

grown weary

and

king,

of rich attire and ban-

quets and tournaments and the available princesses of his

own

realm,

and yearned to find 23

in a far land

the maiden of his dreams, singing as he went, learning the a

of the lowly, and possibly slaying

life

dragon here and

At

there.

the sign of the Silver

below the

where

castle,

tellers, tosspots,

m

Swan,

town

the

taverners, travelers, tale-

troublemakers, and other towns-

people were gathered, he heard of Saralinda, loveliest princess

on

the ocean seas. "If

you can turn the

she

is

"If

she

is

all

the thousand islands of rain to silver,

yours," a taverner leered.

you can

slay the

thorny Boar of Bory thorn,

yours," grinned a traveler. "But there

thorny Boar of Borythorn, which makes

"What

makes

it

even harder

scorn and sword," sneered a slit

you from your guggle "The Duke

is

seven

to

feet,

is

it

is

no

hard."

her uncle's

"He

tale-teller.

your zatch nine inches

will

"

tall,

and

only twenty-eight years old, or in his prime," a tosspot gurgled. "His a clock,

hand

is

cold enough to stop

and strong enough to choke

swift enough to catch the wind. minstrels in his soup, like crackers."

24

He

a bull,

breaks

and

up

"

"Our heart

minstrel here will

warm

the old man's

with song, dazzle him with jewels and

on

gold," a troublemaker simpered. "Hell trample

the Duke's camellias, spill his wine, and blunt his

sword, and say

Duke

the end the

my

O

blessing,

O

will say, 'Take Saralmda,

lordly Prince of !

rider of the

name begins with X, and

his

"I've

due and

eighteen stone, but

him up and tossed him

and caught him and his

Rags and Tags,

'

the minstrel picked

he paid

with

sun

The troublemaker weighed

air

in

left

set

him down

again.

m the Then

the Swan.

seen that youth before," the traveler

mused, staring

after

Xmgu, "but he was

ragamuffin then, nor minstrel.

where was

Now

let

neither

me

see,

it?"

"In his soup," the tosspot said, "like crackers."

L

II

Si

^^^

i

UTSIDE

m

^^

I

I

was

gloomy

^^^^^

rocking yel-

that held a

a

castle

white

room

on the

hill

lantern gleamed and

darkened, came and went, as stalked from

a

star in its horn. In the

M

^^^

by

lighted

low moon

W

^^W^

the tavern the night

if

Duke

the gaunt

to room, stabbing bats

spiders, killing mice. "Dazzle the

and

Duke with

jewels," the minstrel said aloud. "There's some-

thing

m

where,

I

would

order

or

make

it

somewhere, but what

cannot think."

him

a table

He wondered

to cause a

fall

if

it

the

his zatch,

26

and

Duke

of purple snow,

out of sawdust, or merely

from his guggle to

is

slit

him

and say to Saralmda,

"There he strel. I'll

The

lies,

have

your

my

latest fool, a

nameless min-

him

to the geese."

varlets feed

minstrel shuddered

m

the moonlight,

won-

He

dering where his zatch and guggle were.

wondered invade the

how

why

and

castle.

A

and when he could

duke was never known to

ask a ragged minstrel to his table, or set a task

him

for

to do, or let

him meet

a princess. "I'll

think of some way," thought the Prince. 'Til think of something."

The hour was

late,

and

revelers

began to

reel

and stagger home from inns and taverns, none rags,

and none

One

third of

The

m

m tags, and some m velvet gowns. the dogs m town began to bark.

minstrel took his lute from his shoulder and

27

improvised a song.

He had thought

of something.

"Hark, hark, the dogs do hark,

But

only one in three.

They hark They

A

at those in velvet

gowns,

never hark at me."

tale-teller, tottering

home

to bed, laughed at

the song,

and troublemakers and tosspots began

to gather

and

listen.

"The Duke

fond of

is

Hell ask you

Ym

But

velvet

gowns,

all to tea.

\n rags, and

Tm

in tags,

Hell never send for me."

The townspeople crowded around strel,

Rags

laughing and cheering. "He's a bold one, is,

makm' songs about

strutfurrow strel

the min-

who

went on

the Duke!" giggled a

had joined the crowd. The min-

singing.

"Hark, hark, the dogs do hark,

The Duke

He

is

fond of

kittens.

likes to take their insides out,

And

use their fur for mittens."

The crowd

fell silent

in

28

awe and wonder,

for

the townspeople

men

knew

the

Duke had slam

for merely staring at his hands,

were gloved

in velvet gloves, bright

hands that

with rubies

and with diamonds. Fearing to be seen

doomed and strel,

company of

desperate

the revelers slunk off to their

their wives.

Only

the traveler,

the

in the

mad min-

homes

who

eleven

to

tell

thought he

had seen the singer some otherwhere and time, lingered to

warn him of

shining in the

lists,"

he

in battle, or breaking

his peril. "I've seen

said, "or

men 29

m

you

toppling knights

two

like crackers.

You must

be Tristram's son, or Lancelot's, or are

you Tyne

or Tora?"

"A wandering "a thing of shreds

minstrel,

if

the minstrel said,

and zatches." He

m consternation at the "Even

I,"

slip

it

bit his

tongue

made.

you were the mighty Zorn of

Zorna," said the man, "you could not escape the fury of the Duke. He'll

slit

you from your guggle

to your zatch, from here to here." minstrel's "I

stomach and

He touched

the

his throat.

now know what

to guard," the minstrel

sighed.

A

black figure in velvet mask and

hood and

cloak disappeared behind a tree.

"The cold Duke's

spy-m-chief," the traveler said, "a

Whisper. Tomorrow he will

have to mention mittens.

other lands, since

I

The

die."

I

minstrel

name your

waited. "He'll die because, to he'll

man named

sins,

leave at once for

He

have mentioned mittens."

sighed. "You'll never live to

wed

his niece. You'll

only die to feed his geese. Goodbye, good night,

and

sorry."

The

vanished,

traveler

mouth of

a frog,

strel

a

his shoulder

m

A

soft finger

the moonlight.

He wore an

alone

a dark,

less

touched

man

indescrib-

were wide and astonished, first

as

time,

descnbable beard. "If you have

nothing better than your songs," he

somewhat

the

a clock

a little

everything were happening for the

and he had

left

Somewhere

and he turned to see

able hat, his eyes if

m

fly

stony chime into the night. The min-

began to sing again.

smiling

a

and the minstrel was

in the dark, deserted street.

dropped

like

said,

than much, and only a

than anything."

31

"you

little

are

more

"I

manage

m my

and he strummed

fashion/' the minstrel said,

and sang.

his lute

"Hark, hark, the dogs do hark,

The

cravens are going to hed.

Some

and greet the sun,

will rise

But Whisper

The

"Who "I

man

old

am

are

will he dead."

lost his smile.

you?" the minstrel asked.

the Golux," said the Golux, proudly,

"the only

Golux

in the

world, and not

a

mere

Device."

"You resemble

one," the minstrel said, "as

Sarahnda resembles the

rose."

"I resemble only half the things

the

Golux

He

sighed. "I must always be

people are

"My

say

I

don't,"

half resemble me."

on hand when

m peril."

peril

"Half of "I hadn't

"I place

"The other

said.

I

my

is

it is

my own,"

the minstrel said.

yours and half

is

Sarahnda 's."

thought of that," the minstrel faith

m

said.

you, and where you lead,

follow."

32

I

"Not so I

have been

When

I

said.

never were.

to,

Half the things

Golux

the

fast,"

I

"Half the places

make things

say are there cannot be found.

I

was young

I

told a tale of buried gold,

and men from leagues around dug I

up.

m

the woods.

dug myself."

"But why?"

"I

thought the

"You "I I

you made

said

know

make

uncertainty. "I

The

I

a firefly

up."

I

I

know

didn't

minstrel

felt

mistakes, but

Good," the Golux

happenchance.

when

it

did, but then

I

forget things, too."

side of

of treasure might be true."

tale

said,

had.

I

vague

a

am on

I

the

"by accident and

had high hopes of being Evil

was two, but

m

burning

m my

youth

a spider's

came upon

I

web.

I

saved the

victim's life."

"The

firefly's?" said

"The

spider's.

the

web on

fire."

the minstrel.

The

blinking arsonist had set

The

minstrel's uncertainty in-

creased, but as he thought to slip bell

sounded

m

the castle and

34

away,

many

a

deep

lights ap-

peared,

A

and voices shouted orders and commands.

stream of lanterns started flowing

down

the

"The Duke has heard your songs," the

darkness.

Golux

said.

the jig

is

"The

fat

m

is

up, the goose

is

the

fire,

the die

cast,

is

cooked, and the cat

is

out of the bag."

"My

hour has struck," the minstrel

They

said.

heard a faint and distant rasping sound,

as

if a

blade of steel were being sharpened on a stone.

"The Duke

Golux

the

prepares to feed

said.

"We

you

must invent

to his geese," a tale to stay

his hand."

"What manner of tale?" the minstrel asked.

"A tale," the Golux said, "to make the Duke believe that slaying

you would

someone

He

hearts.

So you must say

cess can't

day

else's heart.

be

after the

"I

wish

wed

hates a light

m

a certain prince

has fed

you

m

people's

and

until the evening of the

Duke

that

light a light

prin-

second

to his geese."

you would not keep saying

that,"

the minstrel said.

"The

tale

sounds true," the Golux 35

said,

"and

very

like a witch's spell.

witches' I

spells.

The Duke

has

awe

of

I'm certain he will stay his hand,

think."

The sound of tramping nearer.

The

iron guards of the

their lanterns

"Halt!" There

"Do The

came near and

Duke

closed m,

gleaming and their spears and armor.

was

not arrest

"What

feet

a clang

my

and clanking.

friend," the

youth implored.

friend?" the captain growled.

minstrel looked around

but there was no one there.

36

A

him and about, guard guffawed

and

said,

"There

"Maybe isn't

he's seen the

any Golux.

and know," the captain

Golux."

have been to school,

I

said.

The

minstrel's un-

certainty increased again. "Fall in!" the captain

bawled. "Dress up that

line."

"You heard him. Dress said.

They marched

in the castle.

slowly up the

A

it

up," the sergeant

the minstrel to the

dungeon

stream of lantern light flowed

hill.

37

Ill

WAS

T

morning. The cold Duke

gazed out if

a

window

he were watching flowers

or flymg birds. varlets feeding

He and stared

turned

at

the

speak

of,

Whisper

m

bloom his

to the geese.

away and took

three limps

minstrel, standing

"What manner

m

the

hands bound

of prince

is

this

you

and what manner of maiden does he

love, to use a

word

that

makes no sense and has

no point?" His voice sounded

on

castle, as

He was watching

great hall of the castle, both

behind him.

of the

like iron

dropped

velvet.

"A

noble prince, a noble lady," the minstrel

38

said.

"When

wed

they are

people will

a million

be glad."

The Duke took cane and stared his captive,

at

his

sword out of

He limped

it.

and touched

his

sword-

his

across

and faced

guggle softly with

the point, and touched his zatch, and sighed and

frowned, and put the sword away.

"We

shall

think of some amusing task for you to do," he said. "I

do not

there

no prince or maiden

is

like

your

should slay you, but

He

I

tricks

and

guile.

I

think

who would wed

am neither

if I

sure nor certain.

grinned and said again, "We'll think of some

amusmg "But

task for I

am

only princes

The we'll

cold

make

you

to do."

not a prince," the minstrel

may

Duke kept on

or sound.

grinning.

a prince of you," he said.

two

"and

aspire to Sarahnda's hand."

of Rags and Jingles." gether and

said,

varlets

He

"Why, "The

prince

clapped his gloves to-

appeared without

"Take him to

then

his

a

word

dungeon," said the

Duke. "Feed him water without bread, and bread without water."

39

The

varlets

great hall

were taking

when down

eye gleamed

minstrel out of the

the marble stairs the Prin-

Saralmda floated

cess

trie

The Duke's

like a cloud.

The

like crystal.

minstrel gazed

wonder. The Princess Saralmda was freesias in her

dark

mouth from the

white

lilac.

with

and she wore serenity

hair,

brightly like the rainbow.

her

tall,

m

It

was not easy

to tell

brow from

rose, or her

the

Her voice was faraway music, and her

eyes were candles burning on a tranquil night. She

moved

across the

room

like

her laughter sparkled on the presence, gained a faint and

The Prince was

m

wind air,

violets,

and

which, from her

undreamed

fragrance.

frozen by her beauty, but not

and the Duke, who was cold but not frozen,

cold,

held up the palms of his gloves, as fire at

which

the blood

to

warm his

come warmly

hands.

little

iron

on

"I

she were a

minstrel

saw

to the lame man's cheeks.

"This thing of rags and tags and our

The

if

game," he told

tatters will

play

his niece, his voice like

velvet.

wish him well," the Princess

40

said.

The hand

m

minstrel broke his bonds and took her his,

but

it

was

slashed

away by

the swift

cane of the Duke. "Take him to his dungeon

now," he through

said.

his

He

stared coldly at the minstrel

monocle. "You'll find the most amus-

ing bats and spiders there."

"I

wish him well," the Princess

said again,

and

the varlets took the minstrel to his dungeon.

When

the great iron door of the

dungeon

clanked behind the minstrel, he found himself alone in blackness.

of web, bats

A

spider,

swung back and

was echoed by

care," the

"Why

are

Duke The

wide

to

a strand

The zickermg of

The

minstrel took a

and something squirmed.

Golux

said,

you here?"

"I forgot something.

the

forth.

the walls.

step, avoiding snakes,

"Take

swinging on

I

"you're on

my foot."

the minstrel cried. forgot about the task

will set you."

minstrel thought of

swimming

lakes too

swim, of turning liquids into stone, or

finding boneless creatures

made of bone.

"How

came you here?" he asked. "And can you leave?"

42

never know," the

"I

was

Golux

said.

witch, but rather mediocre

a

When

"My

m

and when she changed her

fish, all

she ever got was mermaids."

strel's

her way.

she tried to turn a thing to gold,

to clay;

heart

was

insecure.

"My

father

mother

it

turned

rivals

into

The min-

was

a

wiz-

ard," said his friend,

upon

himself,

"who

often cast his spells

when he was

in his cups. Strike a

Something

light or light a lantern!

have hold

I

of has no head."

The

minstrel shuddered.

"You came

yes.

My

Duke

and worse

you

that

he

said.

power

father lacked the

of concentration, and that priests,

task,"

to tell me."

Oh,

"I did?

"The

is

bad

for

monks and

for wizards. Listen. Tell the

will hunt the Boar, or travel thrice

around the moon, or turn November into June.

Implore him not to send you out to find a thou-

sand jewels."

"And then?"

"And then

he'll

send you out to find

a

thou-

sand jewels."

"But

I

am

poor!" the minstrel cried.

"Come, come," the Golux of Zorna. to

him

I

as

had

it

from

"You're Zorn

said.

a traveler

I

met.

he was leaving town. Your

It

father's

casks and coffers shine with rubies and sapphires."

44

came

with

"My "and

m

father lives

would

it

Zorna," said the Prince,

me

take

nine and ninety days:

three and thirty days to go, and three and thirty

days to come back here."

"That's six and sixty."

"It

my

always takes

and

father three

thirty

days to make decisions," said the Prince. "In spells

and be

labors a certain time

at sea

when mine

is

always

set,

and

I

might

expires."

"That's another problem for another day," the

Golux

"Time

said.

The former

live

too

is

for dragonflies

little

and the

and

angels.

latter live

too

long."

Zorn of Zorna thought awhile and task seems strange

"There

are

said,

"The

and simple."

no jewels," the Golux

said,

"within

the reach and ranges of this island, except the

gems here

in this castle.

The Duke knows not

Zorn of Zorna. He thinks you

you

are

strel

without

a

penny

that

are a min-

or a moonstone. He's fond

of jewels. You've seen them on his gloves."

The

Prince stepped on a turtle. "The

46

Duke

has

he

spies,"

said,

The Golux "but

we

The

must

"who may know who sighed. "I risk

and

I

am."

may be wrong," he

try

said,

it."

Prince sighed in his turn. "I wish

you

could be surer."

"I

wish

was born,

I

I

could," the

all."

m my time.

I

cannot save

Something that would have been pur-

ple, if there

had been

across the floor. thirty

"My mother

said.

regret to say, only partly in a caul. I've

saved a score of princes

them

Golux

light to see

it

by, scuttled

"The Duke might give me only

days, or forty-two, to

47

find

a

thousand

Zorn of Zorna.

jewels," said

give

me

I

figure

longer the labor

gloating.

The

should he

ninety 'nine?"

"The way

The

"Why

He

the

lasts,

loves to gloat,

Prince sat

may have

it,"

down

Golux

said, "is this.

the longer lasts his

you know."

beside a toad.

lost his jewels,"

he

said, "or

"My father given them

away."

"I

thought of

that," the

other plans than one. Right

Golux

said.

"But

I

have

now we have to sleep."

They found slept until the

corner without creatures and

a

town

clock struck the midnight

hour.

Chains clanked and

rattled,

and the great iron

door began to move. "The Duke has sent for you again," the

Golux

said.

"Be

careful

what you say

and what you do."

The

"When

great iron door shall

I

see

began to open slowly.

you next?" Zorn whispered.

There was no answer. The Prince groped around

49

m

the dark and

felt a

thing very

touched the thing without

like a cat,

a head,

and

but he could

not find the Golux.

The

great iron door

the dungeon

filled

now

was open wide

with lantern

and

light.

"The Duke commands your presence," growled a guard. "What was that?"

"What was what?"

"I

know

not," said the guard. "I thought

I

heard the sound of someone laughing."

"Is the

Duke

afraid of laughter?" asked the

Prince.

"The Duke

is

not afraid of anything. Not

even," said the guard, "the Todal."

"The Todal?"

"The Todal."

"What's the Todal?"

A

lock of the guard's hair turned white and

his teeth a

began to

chatter.

blob of glup," he

rabbits screaming,

rooms.

It's

"The Todal

said. "It

makes

and smells of

waiting for the

50

Duke

a

old,

to

looks like

sound

like

unopened

fail

in

some

endeavor, such as setting

you

a task that

you can

do."

"And

if

he

sets

me

one, and

I

succeed?" the

Prince inquired.

"The Blob will glup him," "It's

said the guard.

an agent of the devil, sent to punish

evil-

doers for having done less evil than they should.

I

talk too

much.

Come

on.

51

The Duke

is

waiting."

IV

HE DUKE a black

sat at

one end of

m

oak table

the black

oak room, lighted by flaming torches that

threw red gleams

on

and

shields

lances.

Duke's gloves sparkled he his

moved

his hands.

monocle

sneered,

at

He

when

stared moodily through

young Prince Zorn. The Duke

which made him even

would hunt

The

colder.

"So you

the Boar," he said, "or travel thrice

around the moon, or turn November into June."

He

laughed, and a torch

November

turns

travel thrice

went

November

out.

"Saralmda

into June.

A cow can

around the moon, or even more.

52

m

And

"

anyone can merely hunt trie Boar.

plan for you.

while a

I

was

thought

I

have another

up myself

it

killing mice.

I

I'll

last night,

send you out to find

thousand jewels and bring them back."

The

Prince turned pale, or tried

dering minstrel,

I,"

he

said,

to.

"A wan-

— "a thing of

"Rubies and sapphires." The Duke's chuckle

sounded are

m

like ice cackling

a cauldron.

Zorn of Zorna," he whispered,

father's casks

and vaults and

"It

softly.

"Your

coffers shine

jewels. In six and sixty days

Zorna and

"For you

you could

with

sail

to

return."

my

always takes

and

father three

thirty

days to make decisions," cried the Prince.

The Duke

my

know,

grinned. "That

give

"That would be

"I

do you know have

plained,

what

naive Prince," he said.

would have me

how

is

a

wanted

to

"Then you

you nine and ninety days?"

fair,"

that

I

the Prince replied. "But

am Zorn?"

spy named Hark," the Duke ex-

"who found your

your quarters

I

m

the

princely raiment

town and brought 53

it

m

here,

with

certain signs-

who you

vealing

He it

pointed

in a

black.

and

Go

are.

and signatures,

seals

put the raiment on."

of iron

at a flight

it

and

return.

I'll

"You'll find

stairs.

chamber on whose door

Don

a star

his chair

Prince started the

up

and

sat

the iron

is

turning

think of beetles while

you're gone, and things like that." limped to

down

stairs,

The Duke

again,

and the

wondering where

Golux was. He stopped and turned and

"You

will not give

me

nine and ninety days.

many, then?" The Duke sneered. lovely number," he said.

re-

"Go

said,

How

"Ill think of a

on."

When Zorn came back he wore his royal attire, but the Duke's spies had sealed he could not draw

man who wore "This

is

it.

his

The Duke

a velvet

sword, so that

sat staring at a

mask and cloak and hood.

Hark," he said, "and this

is

Listen."

He

gestured with his cane at nothing.

"There's no one there," said Zorn.

"Listen

is

invisible," the

Duke

"Listen can be heard, but never seen.

explained.

They

are here

to learn the mark and measure of your task.

55

I

give.

you nine and ninety

hours, not nine and ninety

days, to find a thousand jewels and bring here.

When

you

return, the clocks

must

them all

be

striking five."

"The clocks here

"The

m the castle?" asked the Prince.

thirteen clocks?"

"The

clocks here

m the castle," said

the Duke,

"the thirteen clocks."

The Prince looked walls. Their

at

the

two

clocks

on the

hands pointed to ten minutes of

"The hands are frozen," said the Prmce. "The are dead."

five.

clocks

"Precisely," said the

which makes your

no jewels

Duke, "and what

is

more,

task a charming one, there are

be found within the space

that could

of nine and ninety hours, except those in vaults,

and

these."

He

held his gloves

my

up and they

sparkled.

"A

pretty task," said Hark.

"Ingenious," said the voice of Listen.

"I

thought you'd

seal his

like it," said

the Duke. "Un-

sword." Invisible hands unsealed the

Prince's sword.

"And

if I

should succeed?" asked Zorn.

The Duke waved stairs,

the iron

and Zorn saw Saralmda standing

there. "I

wish him well," she and looked

at

presence,

all

You

said,

and her uncle laughed

Zorn. "I hired a witch," he said, "to

cast a tiny spell

well/

gloved hand

at

a

upon

her.

When

that she can say

is

she

this: 'I

is

m my

wish him

like it?"

"A clever spell," said Hark.

"An awful spell," the voice

of Listen said.

The Prince and Princess spoke 57

a silent

language

I

i

#

<|Âť

*>

their eyes, until the

Duke

Sarahnda vanished up the

stairs.

with

"And

if I fail?"

cried,

"Go!" and

asked Zorn.

The Duke removed

his

sword from

his

cane and ran his glove along the blade. "Ill

swordslit

you

from your guggle to your zatch, and feed you to the Todal."

"I've heard of

The Duke

it,"

smiled.

said Zorn.

"You've only heard of half 58

he

"The other

of

it,"

of

lip. It feels as if it

days, but

said.

it

half

back.

moves about

"The Todal

worse.

had been dead like

shadows." The Prince took out it

is

can't

be

made

It's

at least a

dozen

monkeys and his

like

sword and put

killed," the

Duke

said,

softly.

"It gleeps," said

Hark.

"What's gleepmg?" asked the

The Duke and Hark and Listen 59

Prince.

laughed.

"Time

is

wasting, Prince," the

Duke reminded

him.

"Already you have only eight and ninety hours.

I

wish you every

strangest kind of luck."

oak door suddenly opened

at

A wide

the end of the room,

and the Prince saw lightning and midnight and ing ram.

"One

Duke.

"I

would not

cannot

tell

last

word and warning," trust the

Golux

what can be from what

knows what should be from what

The and

said the

overfar.

can't.

fall-

He

He seldom

is."

Prince glanced at Hark and at the Duke,

at a

spot where he thought Listen stood.

"When all the clocks are striking five," he said, and left

the room.

The

laughter of the

Duke and Hark

and Listen followed him out the door and the

stairs

and into the darkness.

60

down

When he had gone

a

few steps from the castle, he looked up at a lighted

window and

thought he saw the Princess Sara-

lmda standing there. picked

it

A rose fell at his feet, and as he

up, the laughter of the

Duke and Hark

and Listen increased inside the black oak room and died away.

61

V

^^^W^^ f

HE PRINCE

had gone but

short

way from

when

he

touch

his

a

the castle

jjj

m

felt a

gentle finger

|||

ft

elbow. "It

is

the

Golux/' said the Golux,

^^^

^^^J^^

proudly.

"The only Golux

in

the world."

The

was

Prince

gaiety and cheer. derful to

are not so

wise

I

for the old man's

The Golux did not seem won-

describable. as

his indescribable hat

"The Duke thinks you

he thinks you think you

are,"

said.

The Golux as

mood

him now, and even

was suddenly

he

m no

he thinks

know

I

smiled. "I think he

think he

the terms.

I

is,"

he

is

not so wise

said. "I

was

there.

had thought that only dragon62

flies

and angels think of time, never having been

an angel or a dragonfly."

"How were you there?" the Prince

m

sur-

any

rate,

said

prise.

"I

am

Listen," the

he thinks

The Duke than he

is

prise that

The

I

said, "or at

am. Never trust a spy

is

lamer than

cold, but I

Golux

am

it

I

am

old,

you cannot

and

I

am

shorter

comes to you with some

wiser than he

Prince's courage

is

see.

sur-

wise."

began to return. "I think

63

you he

are the

most remarkable man in the world,"

said.

"Who thought

not so a

moment

not the apple from the quince," the

He scowled. "We now have "You

said that

knows

Golux

said

only eight and ninety

thousand gems," he

hours to find a

since,

you had other

said.

plans than one,"

the Prince reminded him.

"What "You

plans?" the

hands. "There

more than

and

asked.

didn't say," said Zorn.

The Golux

come

Golux

closed his eyes and clasped his

was

a treasure ship that sank, not

forty hours from here," he said. "But,

to think of

it,

the

Duke

ransacked the ship

stole the jewels."

"So much," sighed Zorn, "for

The Golux thought he it

said,

"and

we

that."

again. "If there

were

hail,"

could stain the hail with blood,

might turn into rubies."

"There

is

no

The Golux

hail," said

sighed.

Zorn.

"So much," he

that."

64

said, "for

"

'The

task

is

hard," said Zorn, "and can't be

done."

"I can

do

Golux

the

and see

thing feel.

is

cannot

I

find.

a spot before

my

I

The

cannot see

first

eyes.

first is

is

I

sad and sorry, the second

What would you

time,

can feel a

I

cannot touch and touch a thing

I

The

heart.

can find a thing

said. "I

a thing

the second

be done,"

a score of things that can't

cannot is

your

do without me? Say

'nothing.'

"Nothing," said the Prince.

"Good. Then you're I

said

and

I'll

had another plan than one, and

I

remembered what

it is.

isle,

who'd have some

she

is

when

helpless

gifted

I

help you.

have just

woman on

this

eight and eighty years,

and

There

is

a

with the strangest

gift

of

all.

For

she weeps, what do you think she weeps?"

"Tears," said Zorn.

"Jewels," said the Golux.

The

Prince stared at him. "But that

markable to be," he "I don't see

is

too re-

said.

why," the Golux 65

said.

"Even the

lowly oyster makes

without the use of

his pearls

eyes or hands or any tools, and pearls are jewels.

The

oyster

blob of glup, but

a

is

woman

a

is

a

felt

a

woman."

The Prince thought small cold feeling this

m

of the Todal and

his guggle.

wondrous woman dwell?" he

The stream,

old

man

groaned.

deepâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; I

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the naked eye

asked.

"Over mountain, over

can't see

ninety hours, or more or

way,

"How rose," the

or

can

that

it's

I?"

Golux

He

it."

stood up.

"It's this

its

a

less, to

go and come.

way. Make up

asked the Prince. said.

"We

said. "It will take

"Hold

it

us It's

my mmd."

"You have

m

a

your hand."

Prince took out the rose and held

hand, and

m

never can remember which

must be on our way," he

The

does

by the way of storm and thunder,

hut so high or

this

"Where

it

in his

stem slowly turned and stopped.

way," cried the Golux, and they started

offm the direction the stem of the out. "I will tell

you the

tale

Golux.

66

rose

had pointed

of Hagga," said the

When Hagga was eleven ing cherries

m

the

(he began) and pick-

woods one

day, and asphodel,

she came upon the good King

with

his foot

caught

m

Gwain

wolf

a

trap.

me, maiden," said the King, "for

and laughable, with I

am no

longer

twiddling

my

my

ert, for

foot caught I

have

my "I

lost

Yarrow

"Weep

for

am

ludicrous

m

this trap.

my

ertia.

By

my hands, I have but now I cannot

fingers or clapping

often changed the fate of men, get

I

of

foot loose from this thing."

have no time for

knew the

tears,"

secret of the trap,

the fettered foot,

when

farm began to laugh.

a

the maiden said. She

and was about to

free

farmer from a near-by

The King beshrewed him

and

his wife,

and turned them into grasshoppers,

creatures that look as traps,

even

when

they

were caught

their feet

if

aren't.

"Lo, the maid has freed

my

foot," the

exulted, seeing that she had, "but feels like

someone

in

else's foot,

it is

not mine."

King

numb, and

The maid-

en took off his shoe and rubbed his foot, until felt like his

and he could put

her kindness the grateful to

weep jewels when

When

it

down. And

it

for

King gave her the power

she wept, instead of

tears.

the people learned of the strange gift the

King had given Hagga, they came from leagues around, by night and day,

m

warm and

winter

weather, to make her sad and sorry. Nothing tragic

happened but she heard of

it

came with heavy

left

rubies. Paths

hearts

and

were paved with

and wept. People

with

pearls,

pearls

and

and

rivers

ran with rubies. Children played with sapphires

68

m

the streets, and dogs

cock had

at least

The

price of

price of stones

gizzard,

and pebbles

until,

were melted,

and

thirty-

rose, the

by making Hagga

weep, you could be hanged and

of the King. "I will

its

Every pea-

Wistow's Day, had

gems declined,

the jewels

opals.

nine diamonds in

one, cut open on St. eight.

chewed

fined. In the end,

m a frightful fire, by order

make her weep myself, one

day each year," the King decreed, "and thus and hence, the flow of gems will

make some

and have some point and balance." But but alack, the maid could tale

sense,

alas,

weep no more

at

of tragedy or tribulation. Damsels killed

dragons

left

her

cold.,

and broken

hearts,

and

and

any

by

child-

ren

and love denied. She never wept by day

lost,

or night, in

warm

to be sixteen, forty-eight,

or winter weather.

and twenty-six, and

and fifty-two, and

eighty-eight, for

me and

said, "that this

is

true.

She grew

thirty-four,

now

and

she waits, at

you. "I hope," the

Golux

make things up, you

I

know."

The young you

Hagga weeps no more,

do. If

weep

for

I

and

it

is

Take out your

They had become

tall

and

she

tell

rose,

rose

all

and held

it

m

Very sad and

by now,

his hand.

turn and twist, and pointed.

tear the Prince's

and thunder

The

70

think

they had entered were

Thorns began to

paths vanished.

I'll

think we're lost."

I

raiment. Lightning flashed

and

her.

is

sad and sorry.

tangled in brambles

trees of the forest thick.

is

neither dead nor dying.

of something very sad to

and the

she

over. "I feel that she

fragile. I trust that

hope that she

lonely.

why should

you?"

The Golux thought frail

know

Prince sighed and said, "I

rolled,

Prince took out the

The stem began

to

"Around this way," trie Golux here."

He found a narrow

said. "Its lighter

path that led straight on-

ward. As they walked along the path, the Golux

met

leading, they

were torn and "I told

my

a

Jackadandy, whose clothes

tattered. tales to

Hagga," said the man; "but

Hagga weeps no more. lost

m

June.

I

April.

told her tales of lovers

I

told her tales of maidens dead

I

told her tales of princes fed to geese.

told her

how

"This

is

I

lost

my

sad," the

I

m

even

youngest niece."

Golux

said,

"and getting

sadder."

"The way

long," the torn

is

getting longer.

The road goes

and even

farther.

need

He

it."

The only ning, and

I

wish you

disappeared light

when

it

m

m

my

all

"and

the way,

brambles.

the forest came from light-

it

Jack-oMent approaching,

tattered. "I told

said,

luck," he said. "You'll

a valley.

They saw

his clothes all torn

tales to

72

watched the rose

pointed. This brought

them, on the second day, into a

uphill

flashed they

and followed where

man

and

Hagga," said the man,

"but Hagga weeps no more.

and drowned

lovers lost at sea

her tales of babies lost in mountains. She

"The way

is

wept

dark,

none."

He

vanished

m

The brambles and thicker

m

in fountains.

woods and

I

told

on

lost

not," said the Jack-o'-lent.

and getting

high and even higher.

told her tales of

I

I

darker.

wish you

The hut

is

There

is

luck.

the briars. the thorns

grew

thick and

a ticking thicket of bickering crickets.

Farther along and stronger, bonged the gongs of a

throng of frogs, green and vivid on their

pads.

From

the sky came the crying of

flies,

lily

and

the pilgrims leaped over a bleating sheep creeping

knee-deep

m

a sleepy stream,

m

which swift and

slippery snakes slid and slithered silkily, whisper-

ing sinful secrets.

L

•

:,.::

.:v--:™^v,v:.:-:

:

-

::.:-

'

:--:K'.o.

-.

A light

comet whistled through the sky, and by

its

they saw the hut of Hagga high on Hagga's

hill.

"If she

is

the

Golux

said.

dead, there

"How many

may be

hours do

we

strangers there,"

have left?" the

Prince demanded.

we

"If

the

can make her

Golux "I

weep withm

said, "we'll barely

hope that

she's alive

make

it

in

my

stomach.

it."

and sad," said Zorn.

"I feel that she has died," the "I feel

the hour,"

You

Golux

sighed.

better carry me. I'm

weary."

Zorn of Zorna picked the Golux up and ried him.

car-

VI

T

WAS cold on Hagga's

hill,

and fresh

with furrows where the dragging points of stars had

peasant

m

a

plowed the

little

like

something

Forever faint

the

smell,

a

m

and

the less

fragrance of a flower.

window," the Golux

A

purple smock stalked the

smoking furrows, sowing

was

fields.

seeds.

There

Golux thought,

air,

a

but mixed with

enduring, possibly the

"There's no light said,

"and

it

is

m

her

dark and

getting darker."

"There's no smoke Prince,

"and

it is

The Golux worries

me

m

her chimney," said the

cold and getting colder."

barely breathed and said,

the most

is

that spider's

76

web

"What there

on

the door, that stretches from the hinges to the latch."

The young zatch.

Prince

"Knock on her

voice so high

it

felt a

hollow feeling

door," the

quavered.

He

Golux

m

his

said, his

crossed his fingers

and kept them crossed, and Zorn knocked on the door. cried,

No one answered. "Knock again," the Golux and Prince Zorn knocked 77

again.

Hagga was

there.

stared at them, a

and

She came

woman

and

to the door

neither dead nor dying,

The

clearly only thirty-eight or thirty-nine.

Golux had missed

men

her age

"Weep

often do.

by

for us," the

"or else this Prince will never "I

when

have no ships

tangerines

were dry

wed

I

"I

gemless from

cried,

his Princess."

Hagga. "Once

wept

I

or

overripe, or sheep got something

-weep no more," said Hagga. Her eyes

and her mouth seemed made

have turned

my

door.

thousand persons

a

Come

m," she

said.

"I

more."

The room was dark and held chair,

Golux

old

were overdue, or brooks ran dry,

as deserts

of stone.

weep no

tears," said

were

m their eye.

fifty years, as

and

m

a table

one corner something

made of oak and bound with

and

a

like a chest,

brass.

The Golux

smiled and then looked sad, and said, "I have tales to

make

a

hangman weep, and

of sorrow to a monster's eye.

would Todal

tales to I

bring a tear

have

disturb a dragon's sleep, and even sigh."

78

tales

that

make the

At

the mention of the Todal, Hagga's hair

turned gray. "Once

I

wept when maids were mar-

ried underneath the April

when

moon.

I

weep no more

maids are buried, even in the month of

J" une.

"You have Golux,

irritably.

He

sat

on the

floor

and told her

of the death of kings, and kindred things,

tales

and

the emotions of a fish," said the

little

"I

children choked

have no

He

tears," said

by

rings.

Hagga.

told her tales of the frogs

the toads

m

m the

forum, and

the rice that destroyed the poppy-

cockalorum and the cockahoopatnce.

"I

weep no

more," said Hagga.

"Look," the Golux cess

said,

Saralmda will never

"and

wed

listen!

this

The

youth

Prin-

until the

day he

lays

a

thousand jewels upon

a certain

table."

"I I

would weep

were

sighed, "if

Prince had wandered to the oaken chest.

seized

open.

Hagga

able."

The

He

for Saralmda,"

its

cover with his hand and threw

A radiance filled the room and

corners. Inside the chest there

lit

were

it

the darkest

at least

ten

thousand jewels of the very sort and kind the Duke

demanded. Diamonds

flared

and rubies glowed,

and sapphires burned and emeralds seemed on

They looked laughter,"

at

Hagga. "These are the jewels of

Hagga

said. "I

ago to find them on I

wept

grabbed

at a

fire.

my

something

woke up bed.

m my

I

fourteen days

had laughed

sleep."

until

The Golux

gleaming handful of the gems, and then

another, crowing with delight. "Put said Hagga.

"For

them back,"

there's a thing that

you must

know, concerning jewels of laughter. They always turn again to tears a fortnight fortnight, to the

has been a

after. It

day and minute, since

pretties to this chest

and put them 81

m

I

it."

took the

Even

they watched, the light and color died.

as

The diamonds dimmed, the emeralds went

out, and

the jewels of Hagga 's laughter turned to tears, with a little

sound

There was nothing

like sighing.

the chest but limpid liquid, leering

up

at

them and

winking. "You must think," the Golux

"You must think

of

what you laughed

m

cried.

at in

your

sleep."

Hagga's eyes were blank. "I do not know, for

was fourteen days

ago."

"Think!" the Golux

said.

this

"Think!" said Zorn of Zorna.

Hagga frowned and

said, "I

never can remem-

ber dreams."

The Golux and thought he

said,

was the

it

clasped his hands behind his back over.

"As

I

remember and

"the jewels of sorrow gift

What was

and power the good

recall,"

last forever.

Such

Gwam gave you.

he doing, by the way, so many leagues

from Yarrow?"

"Hunting," Hagga

said.

82

"Wolves,

as

I

recall it."

"

of logic,

m

happened on that awful day,

to

The Golux scowled.

my

What

way.

"I

am

a

man

make him value sorrow over and above the laughter ?

Why

gift

have these jewels turned to

of

tears

a fortnight after?"

"There was

a

farmer from a near-by farm,

who

laughed," said Hagga.

"'On second thought/

good King

amend and modify

I

said,

'I

will

gave you. The jewels of sorrow will

all

measure, but

you

little

may

last

the

the gift

beyond

the jewels of laughter give

pleasure.'

The Golux groaned. the world

I

one thing

"If there's

hate," he said, "it

is

in

amendments."

His eyes turned bright and brighter, and he clapped his hands. "I will make her laugh until she weeps," he

The Golux

said.

told her funny tales of things that

were and had been, but Hagga's eyes were dry quartz and her

laugh

at

mouth seemed made

nothing that has been," she

The Golux

smiled.

"Then we

things that will be, and aren't

84

as

of agate. "I said, "or is."

will think of

now, and never

were.

I'll

think of something," and he thought,

and thought of something.

"A

dehoy

who was

terribly hobhlc,

Cast only stones that were

And

bats that were ding,

From But

cobble

a shot that was sling,

never hit inks that were bobble."

Hagga laughed

until she

stones trickled

down

wept, and seven moon-

her cheek and clattered on

85

the floor. "She's weeping semiprecious stones!" the

Golux

wailed.

He

tried again:

"There was an old coddle so molly,

He

talked in a glot that

His gaws were

That

And

his

gew

lap lecame dew,

he ate only

Hagga laughed trickled

so

was ply,

pop

wept, and seven

until she

down her

that were lolly"

brilliants

cheek and clattered on the

floor.

"Now

she's

"Rhinestones!" groaned the Golux.

weeping costume jewelry!"

The young

Prince tried his hand at telling tales

of laughter, but for his pains he got a shower of tourmaline, a cat's-eye, and a flux of pearls.

Duke

hates pearls," the

they're It

made by

They stood

The

thinks

fish."

grew darker

scarcely see.

Golux moaned. "He

"The

m

the

starlight

there,

still

room and they could

and the moon were gone. as statues.

The Golux

cleared his throat.

The

Prince uncrossed his arms

and crossed them.

And

then, without a

rhyme

reason, out of time and out of season,

86

or

Hagga

laughed and kept on laughing.

word, no one had told

a tale. It

the hooting of an owl.

crawling of a

snail.

No

It

one had said

might have been

might have been the

But Hagga laughed and kept

on laughing, and precious jewels twinkled her cheek and sparkled

was ankle-deep

m

Golux counted out a velvet sack that

that she

had

a

on the

floor, until

diamonds and a

m

down

the hut

rubies.

The

thousand and put them

he had brought along.

"I

m

wish

had laughed," he sighed, "at something

said."

I

Zorn of Zorna took her hand. "God keep you

warm

m

winter," said the Prince, "and cool

m

summer."

Golux

"Farewell," the

"and thank you."

said,

Hagga laughed and kept on laughing, and sap

upon the

phires burned

floor

and

lit

the

Golux

toward the door.

"How many hours Prince cried

This

is

odd," the

"It's

himself. "I could

now?"

the

young

Golux muttered

to

have sworn that she had died.

my

the only time

"How many

are left us

hours are

stomach ever left

us

now?"

lied."

the Prince

implored.

Hagga

sat

upon the

"I should say," the

only forty

but

left,

They went out peered about them "I think

it's

they went the

"What

Golux

it is

on laughing.

said, "that

downhill

all

we

m the

have

the way.

into the moonless night

this

way

chest and kept

and

dark.

way," the Golux he thought

it

said,

and

was.

about the clocks?" demanded Zorn.

88

The Golux exhaled

a sorry breath.

"That's an-

other problem for another hour," he said.

Inside the hut, something red

and

larger

than

a

ruby glowed among the jewels and Hagga picked it

up.

"A

rose," she said.

"They must have dropped

it"

89

VII

N THE torches walls,

black oak

and

flared

and their

fire

and the

shields.

glittered.

"How

room the yellow on the

crackled

burned on the lances

The Duke's

gloves

goes the night?" he

gnarled.

"The moon

is

down,"

said Hark. "I have not

heard the clocks."

"You'll never hear them!" screamed the Duke.

"I

slew time

m

this castle

many

a

cold and

snowy

year ago."

Hark

stared at

him emptily and seemed

chewing something. "Time left

the

windows

"Bah!"

froze here.

to be

Someone

open."

The Duke

sat

down

90

at the far

end of

the table, stood

up

again,

and limped about.

bled hours and minutes on the

my

eye."

side the

owl flew

floor. I

saw

it

"It

with

Hark kept on chewing something. OutGothic windows thunder growled.

An

by.

"There are no jewels," roared the Duke.

"They'll have to bring

me

pebbles from the sea or

mica from the meadows." laugh.

"How

He

gave his awful

goes the night?" he asked again.

91

"I

"and

have been counting I

off

and on/'

said Hark,

should say they have some forty minutes

left."

"They'll never make

the cold

it!"

Duke

screamed. "I hope they drowned, or broke their legs, or lost their

way."

He came

so close to Hark

"Where were

their noses almost touched.

they

going?" he whispered harshly.

Hark stepped backward seven

steps. "I

met

Jackadandy, some seven hours ago," he

"They passed him on

Do you remember

their

way

to Hagga's

a

said. hill.

Hagga, and have you thought

of her?"

The Duke's loud

laughter rang the shields.

"Hagga weeps no more," he

no

tears.

up

m my

tower."

hated that," said Hark.

"I liked

in

"Hagga has

She did not even weep when she was

told about the children locked "I

said.

my

it,"

said the

camellias."

Duke.

He began

stared out at the night.

"No

to limp again

"Where

demanded.

92

child can sleep

is

and

Listen?" he

"He followed them,"

Golux

said Hark, "the

and the Prince."

"I a

do not

spy that

trust him,"

can

I

see.

that are visible." stairs,

growled the Duke.

Let

me

have

He shouted

"I like

men about me

"Listen!"

up the

and "Listen!" out the windows, but no one

answered. "I'm cold," he rasped.

"You always

are."

"I'm colder," snarled the Duke, "and never

me what

I

always am!"

and slashed

at

He

nothing and

Whisper."

93

took

his

tell

sword out

at silence. "I

miss

"You

fed

seemed to

like

"Silence!

"What

him

to the gtest," said Hark.

him."

What was

did

it

sound

that?" like?"

"Like princes stealing

lmda

leaving."

up

the

The Duke limped

and slashed again

"What

"They

does he

at silence

feel like?

stairs, like

to the iron stairs

and

Have you

at felt

nothing.

him?"

"Listen? He's five feet high," said Hark. has a beard, and something describe."

on

Sara-

his

head

I

"He can't

"The Golux!" shrieked the Duke. "You Golux!

I

hired

him

as a

spy and didn't

A purple ball with gold ly

bouncing

down

twinkled, like

a

stars

on

it

the iron stairs and

felt

the

know

it."

came slow-

winked and

naked child saluting

priests.

"What insolence is this?" the Duke demanded.

"What is that thing?"

"A ball," said Hark.

"I know that!" screamed the Duke. "But why?

What

does

its

ghastly presence signify?"

95

"It looks to

the

Golux and

me," said Hark, "very

those children used to play with."

"They're on his side!" tic.

like a ball

The Duke was

apoplec-

"Their ghosts are on his side."

"He

has a lot of friends," said Hark.

"Silence!" roared the Duke.

what

is

dead from what

been from where

he's

from clocks that never

"What

is

"He knows not

dying, or where he's

going, or striking clocks strike."

makes me think he does?" The spy

stopped chewing. Something very much

like

noth-

ing anyone had seen before came trotting

down

the stairs and crossed the room.

"What "I don't

that?" the

Duke

asked, palely.

know what

it is,"

said Hark, "but

is

it's

the only one there ever was."

The Duke's gloved hands shook and shimmered.

"I'll

throw them up

Todal and the geese!

I'll

with the thing without

for grabs

lock

them

a head!"

betwixt the

m the dungeon At

the mention

of the Todal, Hark's velvet mask turned gray.

Duke's eye twisted upward

97

m

its

The

socket. "Ill slay

them

all!"

he

"This sweetheart and her suitor,

said.

this cross-eyed

clown!

You

hear me?"

"Yes," said Hark, "but there are rules and

and

rituals,

rites

sound of bells and snow

older than the

on mountains."

"Go

on," the

Duke

said, softly,

looking

up

the

stairs.

"You must to

make

"The Duke. ing.

let

them have

the castle clocks strike five." castle clocks

were murdered,"

"I killed time here

You

still

myself one

can see the old

brown

seconds bled to death, here on laughed.

and turn

their time

"What

"You know

else?" as

said the

snowy mornstains,

my

where

sleeve."

He

he asked.

well

as

I,"

said Hark.

"The

Prince must have his turn and time to lay a thou-

sand jewels there on the table."

"And

if

he does?"

"He wins

the

hand of Princess Saralinda"

"The only warm hand Duke. fire

"Who

loses

m

the castle," said the

Saralmda loses

fire. I

mean

the

of the setting suns, and not the cold and cheer-

98

less

flame of jewels. Her eyes are candles burning

in a shrine.

fingers

Her

of one's

is

scarcely the

own

me

appear to

bloom upon her

"This

as doves.

Her

breast like flowers."

way," said Hark, "to speak

niece."

"She's not

Duke.

feet

my

niece!

"I stole her

I

stole her!" cried the

from the

castle of a king!

I

snatched her from the bosom of a sleeping queen. bear on

I still

my

hands the marks of where she

bit me."

"The Queen?" asked Hark.

"The

Princess," roared the

"Who

Duke.

was the King?" asked Hark.

His master scowled. "I never knew," he

"My

ship

was beached upon an

There was no moon or any

m

said.

island in a storm.

star.

No

lights

were

the castle."

"How could you find the Princess

then?" asked

Hark.

"She had a radiance," said the Duke. "She shone there like a star I

had

upon her mother's

to have that splendor

99

breast.

m my

I

knew

castle.

I

mean

to keep her here

day she

is, I'll

till

she

is

wed her, and that

twenty-one.

The

day is tomorrow."

"Why haven't you before?" asked Hark. "This castle

is

your kingdom."

The Duke smiled and showed 100

his

upper

teeth.

"Because her nurse turned out to be cast a spell

"I cannot

and

"You "I safe

witch

who

upon me."

"What were one,

a

wed

that

terms?" asked Hark.

its

day

her is

till

the day she's twenty-

tomorrow."

said that once before."

must keep her

from me.

I've

m

done

a

chamber where she

is

that."

"I like that part," said Hark.

"I hate

it,"

snarled the Duke. "I

must give and

grant the right to any prince to seek her hand marriage. I've

done

that, too."

He

sat

down

m

at the

table.

"In spells of this sort," Hark said, chewing,

"one always of

which the

m

hand

finds a chink or loophole,

and perfect prince can win her

right

any task you

spite of

by means

set him.

How

did

the witch announce that part of it?"

"Like

this.

stroyed, only

X

with

and

'She can be saved, and you de-

by

doesn't.'

There

mask slipped

off

again, but not before the his eyes.

is

begins

no prince whose

X and doesn't."

name begins with Hark's

whose name

a prince

and he put

Duke saw

"This prince," said Hark,

it

back

laughter

"is

m

Zorn of

Zorna, but to your terror and distaste, he once

posed

as a minstrel.

wasn't. This

with

His name was

the prince

is

Xmgu then and

whose name begins

X and doesn't."

The Duke's sword had begun

body ever

tells

me

to shake.

"No-

anything," he whispered to

himself.

Another

ball

came bouncing

down

the

black ball stamped with scarlet owls.

Duke watched pudence

is

it

this?"

roll across

he

cried.

102

the

floor.

stairs, a

The

cold

"What

im-

Hark walked to the turned and

"There's someone

said,

listened,

up

and

there."

the children!" croaked the Duke.

"It's

"The children sound

and

stairs

I

are dead," said Hark,

heard was made by living

"and the

feet."

"How much time is left them?" cried the Duke.

"Half an hour, "I'll

I

think," said Hark.

have their guggles on

ing games with me!" stairs

my sword

The Duke

and stopped. "They're up

for play-

started

up

the

there, all of them.

Call out the guards," he barked.

"The guards

"You wanted

it

are

guarding the clocks," said Hark-

that

and each one guards ing t]usL walls.

He

way. There a clock.

pointed

"You wanted

it

at

You and

the

that

his

drawn sword

"Another game's Prince,

clocks

Duke

shining.

I'll

and

into the

the

stairs,

"Follow me!" he

cried.

slay the

and marry Saralmda!"

103

on the

repeated,

The Duke limped up

afoot!

are guard-

They trooped

his agent called the guards. like engines.

two

I

way."

"Call out the guards," the

room

are eleven guards,

He

Golux and

led the

the

way. The

guards ramped up the smiled,

The

and chewed

stairs

again,

Hark

and followed.

room was

black oak

like engines.

silent for a space

seven seconds. Then

a secret

ma

slipped into the room.

The Golux

wall.

Princess followed. His hands

of

door swung open

The

were raw and red

"How without my

from climbing vines to Saralmda's chamber. could you find the castle in the dark rose?" she asked.

"He would not

let

me burn

a

torch."

"You

lighted

up your window

like a star,

we could see

the castle from afar," the

"Our time

marked

is

Golux

and

said.

in minutes. Start the clocks!"

"I cannot start the clocks," the Princess said.

They heard "He

the sound of fighting far above.

faces thirteen

men," she

cried,

"and that

is

hard."

"We "and that

"How

face thirteen clocks," the is

Golux

said,

harder. Start the clocks!"

can

I

start

the clocks?" the Princess

wailed.

104

"Your hand the

Golux

hand."

is

warmer than the snow

"Touch

said.

the

The Princess touched

first it.

is

cold,"

clock with your

Nothing happened.

"Again!" Saralmda held her hand against the clock

"We

and nothing happened.

Golux

simply, and Saralmda's heart stood

She "I

are ruined/' said the

cried,

still.

"Use magic!"

have no magic to depend on," groaned the

Golux. "Try the other clock."

The

Princess tried the other clock and nothing

happened. "Use

logic, then!"

Guard pounding

walls they heard the Iron

Zorn, and coming

"Now

let

me

see," the

start the clocks

logic, as

I

after

close.

Golux

touch the clocks and never can

she cried. In the secret

said. "If

you can

them, then you

start

and never touch them. That's

know and

use

it.

Hold your hand

this

Now that far. Closer! Now a little farthink you have ther back. A little farther. There far

away.

!

it!

Do

I

not move!"

The clogged and

rigid

gan to whir. They heard

works of the clock be-

a tick

106

and then

a ticking.

The like

Princess Saralmda fled from

wind

m clover, and held her

room

to

room,

hand the proper

distance from the clocks. Something like a vulture

spread

its

wings and

Then," the Golux "It's

A

Now!"

left

the castle. "That

was

said.

cried Saralmda.

morning glory that had never opened,

opened

in the courtyard.

A

crowed, began to crow. The stained the

windows, and

m

cock that never light of

morning

the walls the cold

I

Duke moaned, yet its

I

slew

beard."

it,

He thought

in the blackness,

it

And

bloody sword upon

that

Zorn of Zorna had

sword kept whining

and once he slashed

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; he thought

time.

my

and wiped

escaped the guards. His

knee

sound of

"I hear the

was

the Golux.

you crooning knave!" he

cried.

his

own

"Come

left

out,

"Stand forward,

Zorn of Zorna!"

"He's not here," said the spy.

They heard

the savage clash of swords.

108

"They've got him!" squealed the Duke. "Eleven

men

to one!"

"You may have heard "whose

strength

was

of Galahad," said Hark,

as the strength

of ten."

"That leaves one man to get him," cried the Duke.

"I

count on Krang, the strongest guard

have, the finest fencer

unknown ago,

m

the world, save one.

prince in armor vanquished

somewhere on an

island.

it."

109

No

one

him else

I

An

a year

can do

"

"The unknown

"was Zorn

prince," said Hark,

of Zorna."

"Ill slay

rose "I

him then myself!" The Duke's voice

and echoed

down

the dark and secret

slew time with the bloody hand that grips your

arm, and time

is

Hark began

greater far than

chew

to

can murder time," he there's

something

"No

again.

said,

Zorn of Zorna!"

clockwork

else: a

knows

and summer afternoons from sicken

m

a

and

maiden's love,

and

tulip time."

me with your

snarled the Duke.

he could,

]f

swan from winter snow,

the southward

"You

man

mortal

"and even

heart, that strikes the hours of youth

I'll

stairs.

chocolate chatter,"

"Your tongue

is

made of candy.

slay this ragged prince, if Krang has missed him.

If there

were

the old

brown

and

died.

I

light, I'd

show you on my

stains of seconds,

slew time

m

these

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; wiped my bloody blade "Ah, shut up,"

said Hark.

tell

you

that.

I

said

it

where they bled

gloomy

"You

aggressive villain in the world.

I

halls,

are the

and

most

always meant to

and I'm glad."

110

sleeves

"Silence," roared the

They stumbled down "This

is

Duke. "Where

the secret

are

we?"

stairs.

the hidden door," said Hark, "that

leads into the oak room."

"Open," roared the Duke, in his hand.

his

sword gripped

Hark groped and found the

knob.

Ill

secret

VIII

HE BLACK

^^^^^E^^

f

oak room was

bright with flaming torches,

m

but brighter with the light of

ÂŤ

Saralmda.

The

cold eye of

;

the

^^^

^^^^^

Duke was dazzled by

the gleaming of a thousand

jewels that sparkled on the table. His ears were filled

with chiming

as the clocks

"One!"

said Hark.

"Two!"

cried

began to

strike.

Zorn of Zorna.

"Three!" the Duke's voice almost whispered.

"Four!" sighed Saralmda.

"Five!" the table.

"The

Golux crowed, and pointed

task

is

at the

done, the terms are met," he

said.

The Duke's

cold eye slowly

112

moved around

the

room.

where

"Where is

are

my

guards?" he croaked, "and

Krang, the greatest of them

them

"I lured

locked them

in.

all?"

to the tower," said Zorn,

The one

that's tied

m

"and

knots

is

Krang."

The Duke

glared at the jewels on the table.

"They're

false!"

pebbles!"

He

real,

and put

"The

he

said.

"They must be colored

picked one up, and saw that

down

it

task

it

was

again.

is

done," said Hark, "the terms are

I

count them," said the Duke. "If

met."

"Not

until

there be only one that isn't here, cess

I

wed

the Prin-

Saralmda on the morrow." The figures

room were

still

and he could hear

m

the

their breathing.

"What the

Golux

a

gruesome

way

cried.

"She's not

my niece/'

from

"We

have flaws," he

wicked."

He

a king."

sat

the lame

He showed

stole her all

to treat one's niece,"

down

said,

at

man his

sneered. "I

lower

"and mine

is

teeth.

being

the table and began to

count the gems.

"Who The the

is

my

father then?" the Princess cried.

spy's black

Golux

eyebrows

rose. "I

thought

told you, but then, of course, he never

could remember things."

114

"Especially," the

Golux

said,

"the names of

kings."

"Your

Gwam "I

forgot gift

father," said the spy, "is

of Yarrow."

knew it."

that once," the

He

Golux

"but

is

much

it."

I

turned to Saralmda. "Then the in

make you happy."

The Duke looked up and bared

hate

said,

your father gave to Hagga has operated

the end to

tale

good King

too tidy for

He went on

my

taste,"

counting.

115

his teeth.

"The

he snarled. "I

"It's neat," said

ing."

and

am

He removed

jolly. "If

I

Hark, "and, to my

mask. His eyes were bright

his

may

a servant of the

taste, refresh-

introduce myself," he said, "I

King, the good King

Gwam

of Yarrow."

"That," the

Golux

could have saved the Princess

The

servant of the

"This part

I

know. You

said, "I didn't

many

King looked

always hate to

tell,

years ago." sad,

but

I

and

said,

was under

a witch's spell."

"I

weary of witches," the Golux

said,

"with

due respect to Mother."

The Duke's

smile

showed

cannot even trust the spies

His eye

moved

glassily

I

his

upper

see,"

teeth. "I

he muttered.

around and saw the

Golux. "You mere Device!" he gnarled. "You platitude!

You Golux ex machma!"

"Quiet, please," the

Golux

said,

"you gleam-

ing thief."

"Nine hundred ninety eight." The Duke was counting. "Nine hundred ninety nine."

counted

all

the jewels, and put them

There was none

on the

left

"The

look of horrid glee.

all a

table.

He had

m

a sack.

He gave them

Princess," said the

Duke, "belongs to me."

A

deathly silence

turned a

little

pale

filled

and

his

He remembered something

down

from Hagga's

ankle, a sapphire or a

the sack.

"One

the room.

The Golux

hand began

m

to shake.

the dark, coming

that struck against his

hill,

ruby that had

fallen

from the

m

thousand," groaned the Duke,

a

tone of vast surprise.

A

his glove, the left one,

and no one but the Golux

saw it are

fall.

fallen

from

The Duke stood up and sneered. "What

you waiting

for?" he shrieked. "Depart! If

be gone forever,

you

diamond had

it

you

will not be long enough! If

return no more, then

slowly turned to Zorn.

it

will be too soon!"

"What

snarled.

117

He

kind of knots?" he

young Prince

"Turk's head," the

them from

my

said. "I

learned

sister."

"Begone!" the cold Duke screamed again, and

bathed his hands in rubies. croaked, "will

never

The Golux, who had

The

great doors of the oak

room opened, and they

up

left

the cold

Duke

They stood

"is

halfway on our

outside the castle.

"You'll need these," said the Golux.

the rems of

m the

two white

harbor.

It sails

"My

for

"Your ship

held lies

the hour."

Hark corrected him. said.

were always slow. He

also

power of

concentration."

Zorn helped the Princess gazed

He

remember everything," the Golux

father's clocks

lacked the

horses.

withm

"It sails at midnight,"

"I can't

stand-

to his wrists in diamonds.

"Yarrow," said the Prince, journey."

he

last forever."

tittered, tittered.

ing there,

"My jewels,"

a last time at the castle.

to her saddle.

"A

fair

wind

She

stands

Yarrow," said the Prince.

The Golux gazed

"Keep warm," he

a last

said.

time at the Princess.

"Ride close together.

118

Remember blessed

m

even

it

the

of Ever After."

isles

m the stables," mused the

"There are no horses Prince.

need

laughter. You'll

"Whence came

"The Golux

these white ones?"

has a lot of friends," said Hark. "I

guess they give him horses

when

he needs them.

But on the other hand, he may have made them

He makes

up.

"I

know

sail for

"I

things up,

he does," sighed Zorn of Zorna.

"You

Yarrow with us?"

must stay

"So runs

a fortnight longer,"

my witch's

tidy up, and untie

Krang

there

no

longer.

Hark

replied.

me

time to

will give

spell. It

They looked around was

you know."

as well."

for the old Device,

"Where

but he

has he gone?" cried

Saralmda.

"Oh,"

said Hark,

"he knows

"Give him," Saralmda

Hark took the

said,

horses snorted

the cool green glade that led fair

"my love, and

this."

rose.

The two white

A

a lot of places."

wind stood

for

snowy

down

mist

to the harbor.

Yarrow and, looking 120

m

far to

sea, the Princess

Saralmda thought she saw,

people often think they

see,

on

clear

as

and windless

days, the distant shining shores of Ever After.

Your guess lot

is

of things

quite as that

good

shine)

thought she did, and

I

as

mine (there

but

I

are a

have always

will always think so.

121

EPILOGUE

FORTNIGHT Duke was jewels

gloating over his

m the oak room when

they suddenly turned to

with

sa

ing.

the

later,

a little

The

sound

tears,

like sigh-

fringes of his

glow-

ing gloves were stained with Hagga's laughter.

staggered to his feet and

drew

his

He

sword, and

shouted, "Whisper!" In the courtyard of the castle

122

and

six startled geese stopped hunting snails

looked up

oak room.

at the

"What

slish

this?"

is

exclaimed the Duke, disgusted by the pool of melted gems leering on the fell,

and he slashed

nothing. Something

monkeys and walls

went

room grew

table.

sword

his

moved

roared.

and

at

shadows. The torches on the

like

out, the colder.

on,

at silence

across the room, like

two

clocks stopped, and the

There was

a smell of old,

opened rooms and the sound of

"Come

His monocle

you blob of

"You may

un-

rabbits screaming.

glup," the cold

Duke

frighten octopi to death,

you

gibbous spawn of hate and thunder, but not the

Duke

my

of Coffin Castle!"

He

sneered.

"Now

that

precious gems have turned to thlup, living on,

alone and cold,

you musty

sofa!"

a stifled shriek

When

is

not

my

fondest wish!

The Todal

and

gleeped. There

Hark came

into the room, holding a

The Duke's sword

and from the

was

silence.

lighted lantern above his head, there there.

On guard,

lay gleaming

was no one on the

floor,

table dripped the jewels of Hagga's

123

laughter, that never last forever, like the jewels of

sorrow, but turn again to tears a fortnight

after.

Hark stepped on something that squutched beneath his foot

and nobbed against the

wall.

up and held it near the lantern. It was ball

stamped with

Duke

scarlet owls.

picked

it

the small black last

spy of the

of Coffin Castle, alone and lonely in the

gloomy room, thought he far

The

He

heard, from

somewhere

away, the sound of someone laughing.

124

J

m*

from front

[continued

/lap]

kind of a story, but they are basic:

Everybody has always wanted

to

love a Princess.

Everybody has always wanted

to

he a Prince.

Everyhody has always wanted the wic\ed

Duke

to he -punished.

Everyhody has always wanted live

happily ever after.

Too thing

to

little

is

of this kind of

going

on

world today. But

all

in

of

the it is

going on valorously in The Thirteen Clocks.

r^m:

Jacobus tenBroek Library

K

/