The Treacherous Island

T HE good old king Gamba had many beautiful palaces in the country; but he had lived so many years that he had grown weary of them all, and now began to think of building himself a new one. So one morning he sent a messenger after the court architect.

"Go with the treasurer to the cellar vaults, and have him measure out three sacks of gold for you," said the king when the architect arrived; "load these upon a wagon and build me a castle."

The architect first bowed so low that his forehead touched the lowest step of the throne, and then asked, "Where do you wish it to be, your Majesty?"

"I was out driving some time ago," answered the king, "and crossed the crest of a mountain. Below it lay, as every man in the realm knows, a sea—"

The architect bowed again to show that he understood.

"And in that sea is an island."

At this the architect looked up at the king in a wholly terrified manner, and murmured, "Excuse me, your Majesty, but—but—I have never seen that island."

"But I have seen it, and I'll know how to find it—" and king Gamba looked as coldly at the architect as though he stood a whole mile away from him. Then he added, "And it is upon that island that you shall build my castle. Farewell."

There was therefore nothing more to be done about it. So the architect took the gold and carted it to the top of the mountain. Whereupon the driver stopped his horse, unloaded the sacks, cast a glance over the empty sea,—and then laughed at the architect till his eyes disappeared in his head, and his mouth stretched from ear to ear.

"Surely a great beautiful island," said the driver, pointing at the clear sea, "and a fine one upon which to build a castle." With that he jumped on to the wagon and whipped up his horse, leaving the architect behind with his sacks of gold—and still looking for the island which could not be found.

What should the poor architect now do?—To take up a sack of gold and flee the land he would not think of doing, for he was an honourable man; but it would be most humbling to go back and say he was not fortunate enough to find the island. Besides, though Gamba was a most good-natured and excellent old king, he had one peculiarity,—he could not stand contradiction. So when he with his old weak eyes thought he had seen an island, the island must be found,—even if every one of his subjects were to come to him and say they could not discover it. As thanks for such information they would all find themselves exiled.

"Perhaps the island was there when the king drove by, and later on was flooded," thought the architect. So he went into a little cottage he saw in the neighborhood to ask if he might borrow a boat. A young woman who sat within, rocking her child, nodded her assent.

"You can take a flat-bottomed boat which lies under the willow," said she.

The architect found the boat, sure enough, under the willow; so he loosened it and rowed out. But soon, slackening his course, he rested upon his oars and began to peer into the water, to see if he could possibly discover a flooded island. Suddenly, bending far down, he saw something most unusual.

Yet it was not an island he saw, but a mighty giant, who sat in the midst of a pile of seaweed and played with his child. This child was as big and clumsy as the biggest elephant; and the sea-giant himself might have been taken for a huge rock if he had not had a monstrous head covered with scales and green hair, two red eyes which blinked like lighted palace windows, and a pair of arms as thick as light-houses.

The boat's brim extended well over the water, and the sea-giant, who wriggled up to see what was in the way, caught the architect's searching eyes.

"Who is it who thus gazes upon us?" roared he.

"It is only I," said the architect in fearless tones; "and I seek an island here in the sea, as upon it I must build a castle. Perhaps you can tell me where to find it."

The giant broke into such a laugh that the water fairly bubbled up. "So far back as I can recollect, I have not seen any island," he vowed; and then added, "but I could easily furnish you with such a little spot if I wished."

"Pshaw!" said the architect.

Offended at the distrust shown him, the sea-giant rose almost to the water's brim. He could easily prove that what he said was true! Thereupon he grasped a great iron bar which was near him, jammed it with all his might into the rocks on the beach, and soon loosened a hunk as big as several barrels. Then he disappeared into a forest of seaweed, and returned with his cap full of mud in which grew trees, bushes and grasses, taller, more splendid and more luxuriant than any which grew on land. All this he pressed upon the broken mass of rock, which he then took in the hollow of his hand and lifted above the level of the water. It was the prettiest little island the architect had ever seen in his whole life.

"Ah, if it but had a base!" sighed he.

"So long as I hold it it has a base; and I can hold it a thousand years if I wish," said the giant, as he took his seat on a convenient spot both above and under the water.

"But if you should fall asleep?"

"Ah, that's nothing to worry about. I do not do that oftener than every five hundred years, and sleep no more than two hundred. It is three hundred years now since I have slept. In former times there was an old troll-man about here who could sing cradle songs, so if one had a mind to he could take a little nap of ten or twelve years in between; but he has now gone to other regions. However, you need not be afraid, for I sit as still when I am asleep as when I am awake. Only set about the building of the little castle."

The architect scratched the back of his ear: "How long will you promise to sit still and hold up your hand?" he asked.

"Two years," answered the giant.

"Only two years?"

"Yes, two years from the day you are ready to build! After that I take the island, with the little castle, down below and give it to the children to play with. I should certainly have some reward for my pains, should I not?"

"Thank you, but I do not believe we can come to terms," said the architect, as he straightened himself up in the middle of the boat.

Should he, he wondered, let the king spend so much money upon a castle he would occupy for so short a time? And would not the people's lives perhaps be lost when the island sank? Though the king was never known to remain at any place more than two years at a time, he might take it into his head to leave some of his family at the castle.

The architect began to row toward the land; but when his eyes again rested upon the gold on the shore, he decided that after all it would perhaps be as well to spend it in the building of the castle; for otherwise he did not know what on earth to do with it. And he would remember to warn the people, so they should not remain upon the island a moment longer than they ought.

So once more he laid himself upon his stomach, and bending over the boat's rim called "Hullo" to the sea-giant.

"Hullo! Shall it be or not be?" the giant demanded.

"It shall be—only you must promise to hold still for five years."

"Most certainly not!" said the sea-giant.

"For four years then?"

"No," said the sea-giant,

"But at least three years, counting from today?"

"It shall go at that," said the sea-giant;—"but don't forget that three years from tonight, even as the moon rises from behind yonder mountain, I shall let my hand sink."

The architect declared he would remember the date well; then he rowed back to the land, and procuring people from every imaginable place began to build the king's palace upon the little island which was regarded by all with utter astonishment. They rubbed their eyes to be sure they were really awake, because they had never known before that the island existed; nor had they ever seen such tall trees with thick soft foliage, nor such fragant lilies as those which grew upon it.

But when, at the expiration of half a year, the castle with its gleaming battlements and towers was all ready, and the old king arrived, he was not in the least astonished! He knew well the island had been there all the time,—for had he not seen it himself? And he remembered also he had remarked as they drove by, that its trees, its bushes and its flowers were more beautiful than on any other spot upon the earth.

And so the king, thoroughly happy, took up his abode in his new castle; and when the second year drew near its close, and the court expected he would give orders for departure to another country home, he one morning announced he wished to remain where he was for yet another year.

At this a cry was heard; and when all eyes turned to a corner from whence the sound came, they discovered the architect, quaking and trembling to such a degree that he could scarcely stand upright. When questioned as to what was the matter with him, he would only plead that he might be allowed to talk in secret with the king.

The men and women of the court were thereupon obliged to withdraw, and the door was closed. At once the architect fell on his knees before the king and told him where the island had come from, and how the sea-giant sat beneath and held it up; but that he would let his hand drop when the moon rose back of the mountain's crest exactly three years after the island had been raised from the water.

"Punish me, your Majesty, do with me anything you wish," said he; "I beg of you only one thing;—that you will leave here, with the whole court, within the stated time."

Instead of answering, the king rose to his full height and rang a little silver bell. Immediately a servant stood in the doorway. "Bring here the master of the treasury and two guardsmen," ordered the king.

And a moment afterwards the men stood before him. "Measure out a bushel of gold for that man over there," said the king to the treasurer, as he pointed to the castle's architect. "He has served me faithfully for many years; but he shall now be immediately conducted out of the realm; because he is quite mad, and is in a state to spread malicious stories among the people. Men of the guards, take him!"

And the architect was seized, given his gold, and conducted off of the island. But on the way he spoke to his keepers of the treacherous spot, which rested only on the sea-giant's hand; for his conscience would not give him any peace at the thought of what might happen to the king and all the people of the court if they did not come away at the right time. So when his guides came back to the island, they repaired immediately to a side of the boat's dock, and laid themselves down on their stomachs to peer into the water.

Whereupon they too saw the sea-giant with the great blinking eyes, as he sat and held up the island with his left hand. Terrified, they rushed into the castle and told the courtiers what they had seen. Then the ladies and gentlemen of the court wandered in secret, one after the other, down to the dock and laid down on their stomachs; and soon it was found there was not a living soul on the island, from the ministers to the cook's boys, who had not seen the sea-giant—with the single exception of the king; for to him no one dared to say a word about the matter. It was remembered how things had gone with the architect. And moreover the old king would not be able to see anything, for he had such weak eyes.

Many became so fearful they immediately begged leave of absence for their health's sake; or permission to visit relatives who had a sudden longing to see them. Those who remained behind, went about counting upon their fingers how many days yet remained before the great catastrophe would happen, when the whole island would sink to the bottom of the sea. Long beforehand they sent away all their property, so they should not lose anything.

But still the old king knew nothing. When the evening before the fatal night arrived, he went as usual early to bed, without any realization of how deserted and empty everything about him had suddenly become.

Doors were opened softly,—and softly and upon tiptoe all the ladies of the court hurried down to the dock, where every one was then stowed into boats and rowed away.

Now in front of her little house, upon the other shore, stood the cottager's young wife,—the one who had lent the architect her boat when he was obliged to seek for the island. She watched the departure, and wondered who could be looking after king Gamba. As each boat arrived without him, she grew more and more anxious; for she had also seen the sea-giant and knew what would happen. Moreover she dearly loved the old king, who had many times talked kindly with her on some of his walks,—once even patting her eldest boy on the head. So it grieved her that any one should neglect such a rare old king;—that he should be left alone in his castle where, in his ignorance, he would follow the island to the sea's bottom and perish in its dark depth.

To make sure, she questioned several of the fleeing ladies and gentlemen of the palace as to whether the king was with them. But they would only shake their heads, refusing to talk. For what could they do if the king had not a mind to listen to the architect's advice; he must just remain behind and die!

When they were all gone, anxiety increased in the heart of the cottager's young wife. She could not let the old king lie there, and sleep straight on to death. No matter what happened, she must warn him.

She ran into the house a moment to quiet her youngest child who had awakened and was crying. But the baby would not let himself be comforted; so she picked him up and ran down with him to the boat. This she loosened from its moorings, and with vigorous strokes rowed over to the island.

There was no time to lose, for it had already begun to grow dark. In a little while the moon would rise behind the mountain, and if by that time she did not succeed in getting the king into the boat, it would be too late.

With trembling fingers she made the boat fast to the dock, and hastened to the palace, whose gate stood wide open. Then she ran from room to room, from apartment to apartment, until she finally came to one which was locked.

She knocked one time, two times, three times, upon the door, and at last the old king answered in a sleepy voice.

"Who is it? What has happened?"

"Hurry out, hurry out, Hr. King," called she, "else it is death! Every soul in the palace has already departed."

"Of what are they thinking—to thus forsake their king? They shall pay up for this." And the old gentleman stuck his feet into a pair of slippers, slipped into his gold-brocaded dressing-gown, and walked out of his sleeping-apartment.

When he discovered that all the doors stood open, and that no people were to be seen but the strange woman with her child, he was so angry that his eyes flashed.

"They shall indeed be made to pay for this," he repeated, and stamped on the floor.

But the cottager's wife placed herself in front of him and begged, "Come quickly, come, Hr. King! I have my boat down below, and we must hurry."

"It is evident you also believe the stupid stories," said king Gamba. "I'll follow you, but remember I do it only because I wish to get hold of those miserable wretches who forsook their king."

They had now left the castle; but before they were half way to the wharf the whole island trembled as from an earthquake. It was the sea-giant, who had moved his hand a little as a gentle reminder.

"Now he is about to take us," screamed the cottager's wife, ready to sink to the earth with fright,—"the whole island trembles!"

But the king put his arm around her for her support. "You silly woman," said he, "do you not understand it is just the earth shaking under my steps because they are so powerful?"

They went on further and came to the wharf, when the woman uttered a fresh cry: "My boat! My boat is gone!"

It was only too true;—the boat floated far out on the waters. She had tied it too loosely, and when the island trembled it had jerked itself free. Just then a voice rang out from the deep:

"Hurry and wake up up there, or you must all come down to me!"

"Just hear what he says!" cried the cottager's wife, and wrung her hands.

But the old king had heard nothing.

"I tell you it is but the echo of my mighty voice," said he.

Then the young woman threw herself upon the wharf and looked down into the sea.

"Ah, there he sits and blinks with his red eyes!—Look at him, Hr. King."

Just to please her, the king leaned over the water as far as he could.

"It is only my own eyes which reflect as in a mirror," said he. "It has often been said of them that they lighten and flash fire."

But the cottager's wife would not be quieted by the king's assertions. She sobbed so loudly that the child on her bosom also began to cry. In vain she tried lullabyes, sung between sobs and groans; the child screamed as wildly as ever.

"Bring the little fellow here," said the king, "and let's see if I can quiet him."

He took the child in his arms, swung him back and forth, and then lifted up his old cracked voice and sang:

While he sang, the child's mother had again laid herself down on the wharf so she could the better look into the deep; and soon she observed that the sea-giant and his child were also listening to the song.

"I am so sleepy," finally remarked the giant; "is it the troll who has come back, and who sits and sings, or is it another in his place?"

"Nay, father," said one of the small giants, "it is not the troll; and thou must not think of going to sleep until thou hast brought the island down to us."

"I'll see to that all right," said the sea-giant. "Is the moon ready to rise?"—and he rubbed his eyelids to keep himself awake.

"Sing more, Hr. king," the woman whispered, "I believe the giant is about to sleep."

The king gave her an austere look. "Utter foolishness!" said he. "Do you then think I am afraid of the powers of darkness? I am a king, by God's grace; and they would not risk hurting me. I sing only for the boy here, and not for any other soul." And he sang again:

"Hr. king, Hr. king," whispered the woman, again pulling the king by his dressing-gown, "I believe the giant sleeps. His eyes do not gleam any more. He has closed them."

Nevertheless, almost at the same moment, she gave another scream of terror and fell down before the king—for a silver scarf had spread itself over the country. There the moon shone, round and clear, above the mountain's crest;—and now might come to pass that which all, with the exception of the king, expected. But the island lay upon the top of the water just as before. It did not shake again; and down below sat the sea-giant and slept—immovable as a stone image; while the small sea-giants wept and bemoaned because they had not gotten their island.

Then the cottager's wife crept to the king's feet and kissed them again and again: "Thou hast saved us, Hr. king," said she; "the creature below avails nothing against thee."

The old king drew himself up, and then laid the sleeping child in its mother's arms.

"Thy son trusted me if thou didst not," said he. "He is the most faithful of all my subjects."

Then they went back to the castle and laid down to sleep, the king in his apartment, and the mother and child in a room by the kitchen. But the next morning, when they awakened, the whole island was swarming with people. They were the ladies and gentlemen of the court who had come back when they saw the island was still there, and that the sea-giant was fast asleep on his rocky cliff. And when the cottager's wife appeared, and told them how the old king had sung the giant to sleep, it all seemed so wonderful that they felt suddenly convinced that such a good old king as theirs had never before lived upon the earth. So they went at once into the castle and, kneeling before his door, remained there until he showed himself upon the threshold.

Severe and stern, and with knitted brows, he stood before them. "How do you dare venture here—on account of the sea-giant?" he asked.

"We have seen that he has no power over thee, Hr. king," said they; "forgive us! forgive us!"

The old king's face cleared, and after he had thought all by himself for an hour, he forgave them,—for taking everything into consideration he was such a good old king. But about the neck of the cottager's wife he hung the dead queen's most beautiful jewelled necklace, because she was the only one who did not desert him; and her husband he appointed superintendent of all the boats upon the island.

Then the very next day he let it be announced over the whole land that he had made the island castle his permanent residence. He would prove to the world that one need never be afraid of a sea-giant.

All, however, were not so brave as he. In the evenings, when the old king had gone to bed, the court ladies and gentlemen would lie upon their stomachs over the wharf and stare down into the water, to see if by any chance the giant had again opened his gleaming eyes.

Each knew the other's thoughts; not one of them would remain a day longer upon the island after the old king was dead. For they knew well there would then not be found any one who could sing the sea-giant to sleep again if he woke up.