The Terrible Head · page 21 2101Now the lot had fallen on her; and as she was just saying this a long fierce head of a cruel sea creature rose out of the waves and snapped at the girl.102But the beast had been too greedy and too hurried, so he missed his aim the first time.103Before he could rise and bite again the boy had whipped the Terrible Head out of his wallet and held it up.104And when the sea beast leaped out once more its eyes fell on the head, and instantly it was turned into a stone.checked by a teacher105And the stone beast is there on the sea-coast to this day.106Then the boy and the girl went to the palace of the King, her father, where everyone was weeping for her death, and they could hardly believe their eyes when they saw her come back well.107And the King and Queen made much of the boy, and could not contain themselves for delight when they found he wanted to marry their daughter.108So the two were married with the most splendid rejoicings, and when they had passed some time at court they went home in a ship to the boy’s own country.109For he could not carry his bride through the air, so he took the Shoes of Swiftness, and the Cap of Darkness, and the Sword of Sharpness up to a lonely place in the hills.110There he left them, and there they were found by the man and woman who had met him at home beside the sea, and had helped him to start on his journey.111When this had been done the boy and his bride set forth for home, and landed at the harbor of his native land.112But whom should he meet in the very street of the town but his own mother, flying for her life from the wicked King, who now wished to kill her because he found that she would never marry him!113For if she had liked the King ill before, she liked him far worse now that he had caused her son to disappear so suddenly.114She did not know, of course, where the boy had gone, but thought the King had slain him secretly.115So now she was running for her very life, and the wicked King was following her with a sword in his hand.116Then, behold! she ran into her son’s very arms, but he had only time to kiss her and step in front of her, when the King struck at him with his sword.117The boy caught the blow on his shield, and cried to the King:118“I swore to bring you the Terrible Head, and see how I keep my oath!”119Then he drew forth the head from his wallet, and when the King’s eyes fell on it, instantly he was turned into stone, just as he stood there with his sword lifted!120Now all the people rejoiced, because the wicked King should rule them no longer.121And they asked the boy to be their king, but he said no, he must take his mother home to her father’s house.122So the people chose for king the man who had been kind to his mother when first she was cast on the island in the great chest.123Presently the boy and his mother and his wife set sail for his mother’s own country, from which she had been driven so unkindly.124But on the way they stayed at the court of a king, and it happened that he was holding games, and giving prizes to the best runners, boxers, and quoit-throwers.125Then the boy would try his strength with the rest, but he threw the quoit so far that it went beyond what had ever been thrown before, and fell in the crowd, striking a man so that he died.126Now this man was no other than the father of the boy’s mother, who had fled away from his own kingdom for fear his grandson should find him and kill him after all.127Thus he was destroyed by his own cowardice and by chance, and thus the prophecy was fulfilled.128But the boy and his wife and his mother went back to the kingdom that was theirs, and lived long and happily after all their troubles.1 2← previousThe Water-lily. the Gold-spinnersnext →The Story of Pretty Goldilocks↑ back to The Blue Fairy BookThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg503/27/page/2/