The Witch's Citadel

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 204, 31 August 1935, Page 12

The Witch's Citadel

A >eriti. >torj luid . • • GrandndJy.'' Nie opened he lip* to relate what her ni'l.ier did and sa.-g during hr spinning, but \\a- seized with unaccountable hesi.alien nr the fear of the unfavourable opinion th se young girls would form of her could they but sus poet one-half of t;ie misfortunes in. -i--woven by her mother in the glide i veils of the, future brides. These wicked bvi.-gs against whom her mol her had charged her to | M > much on her guaid seemed a thousand times more amiable and pleasant than that gloomy mother of whom even the guomts stood In fear. An exclamation from one of the maidens relieved her from this dilemma. “Why, her dross is of velvet, real white velvet.” said one of the girls. “Who gave thee thy jewels? ’ said another. “Aly friends” replied Alba. “ Do you wish for any such* I have quantities of su<*h toys as these at my home,” and unclasping the necklace of enrcralds she offered one of the precious stones to each of the young girls. Bhe would have given the pearls away also had not the queen prevented any further acts of generosity. “Thy frwends must lie fabulously wealthy.’’ observed one of the mai<lv..s, “I do not know the meaning of wealthy,’’ said Alba. “The gnomes bring great sacks oL‘ treasure f.om the cenrte of the earth, and when they do not bring enough they are punished by my mot her. ’ ’ The queen’s face darkened, and her countenance was truuulv I. and calling her son aside she said to him: “This fair creature can be none olher than the child of that horrible old sorceress, Baba Coaja. Take her back at once to the place where thou found her, for she will bring only trouble ami misfortune to our house.” “Do not ask that of me, mother, mine,” said the young prince, growing pale with anxiety. “I love Alba with all my heart, with all my soul, and were shv the terrible Baba in person I feel I could not seperato myself from her.” The queen sighed, but perceiving

1. .1 bppo&ition was useless she urGCrM i louni lu be prepared for Alba neat ,o her unn apartment.-, and the wed’ Jmg was fixed tu take place un the i't Juw.ng day. I len, on the queen wishing to array bur future daughter with her own royal hands for the ceremony, she had a must painful dispute with her, fur Alba obstinately refused to allow the beleela tu be fastened in her hair. JSliu ran about the castle like a frightened dc- r; she threw herself on the di\ans md gave vuut to Hods of tears, begg ing and imploring that she migit <>e ►pared this misery. ,She said the qir<*eu ■ light place on her head any quantity of her own silken thread, spun by h<‘r maids, but she would have none of the • atal gold affixed there. While she sobbed and besought un • eusingly, the queen made a sign io her attendants and two of them in “bediance U> the sign held the ponr girl’s tiny hands, whilv a third attached the golden veil to her head L\cry one now expected an explosion of iage and despair, but Alba became pi rfectly impassive, and. pale as dentin -he buwed her luvely head under its accursed burden. “Thou art mure cruel than my own mother,” said she, “for she would net allow me to wed iu order to avoid my being unhappy, but thou—thou hast summoned this woe about to fall upon me of thy own free will.” No one could understand the drift Of these words, which Alba refused to explain, and this increased the general distrust against her. •She became so sad that those around her could not believe that she was the same brilliant creature they had seen but the evening previously. Even the fond vows of everlasting love, murmured in her shell-like ear by the young prince, were powerless to dispel the cloud storm from her brow’. When she appeared at court, the fabulous and countless treasures of the young princess were the chief topic of conversation. Prince Porfia was urged to inspect them more minutely, but he did nut care for riches, he said and only thought how to make his young bride smile again, but all his efforts proved wholly ineffectual. At length he set forth in search of her former seurroundings, deeming that on seeing the familiar objects of her childhood her gaiety would return, for she regarded with disdain the small stones considered by others as jewels and could nut induce herself to understand that such meager baubles could possess value for any one. When she heard that the prince intended to return to her mother's citadel, she exhibited the greatest consternation and terror, imploring him and supplicatinff him to give up his intention. (To be continued.) ,