The Fairy of the Dawn, part 2 · page 21 2101‘Something fearful will happen to you if you do,’ replied the horse sadly.102‘Well, forward!’ cried Petru lightly, ‘and if I have to bear cold, I must bear it!’103With every step they went into the kingdom of Mittwoch, the air grew colder and more icy, till even the marrow in their bones was frozen.104But Petru was no coward; the fight he had gone through had strengthened his powers of endurance, and he stood the test bravely.105Along the road on each side were great fires, with men standing by them, who spoke pleasantly to Petru as he went by, and invited him to join them.106The breath froze in his mouth, but he took no notice, only bade his horse ride on the faster.107How long Petru may have waged battle silently with the cold one cannot tell, for everybody knows that the kingdom of Mittwoch is not to be crossed in a day, but he struggled on, though the frozen rocks burst around, and though his teeth chattered, and even his eyelids were frozen.108At length they reached the dwelling of Mittwoch herself, and, jumping from his horse, Petru threw the reins over his horse’s neck and entered the hut.109‘Good-day, little mother!’ said he.110‘Very well, thank you, my frozen friend!’111Petru laughed, and waited for her to speak.112‘You have borne yourself bravely,’ went on the goddess, tapping him on the shoulder.113‘Now you shall have your reward,’ and she opened an iron chest, out of which she took a little box.114‘Look!’ said she; ‘this little box has been lying here for ages, waiting for the man who could win his way through the Ice Kingdom.115Take it, and treasure it, for some day it may help you.116If you open it, it will tell you anything you want, and give you news of your fatherland.’117Petru thanked her gratefully for her gift, mounted his horse, and rode away.118When he was some distance from the hut, he opened the casket.119‘What are your commands?’ asked a voice inside.120‘Give me news of my father,’ he replied, rather nervously.121‘He is sitting in council with his nobles,’ answered the casket.122‘Is he well?’123‘Not particularly, for he is furiously angry.’124‘What has angered him?’125‘Your brothers Costan and Florea,’ replied the casket.126‘It seems to me they are trying to rule him and the kingdom as well, and the old man says they are not fit to do it.’127‘Push on, good horse, for we have no time to lose!’ cried Petru; then he shut up the box, and put it in his pocket.128They rushed on as fast as ghosts, as whirlwinds, as vampires when they hunt at midnight, and how long they rode no man can tell, for the way is far.129‘Stop!130I have some advice to give you,’ said the horse at last.131‘What is it?’ asked Petru.132‘You have known what it is to suffer cold; you will have to endure heat, such as you have never dreamed of.133Be as brave now as you were then.134Let no one tempt you to try to cool yourself, or evil will befall you.’135‘Forwards!’ answered Petru.136‘Do not worry yourself.137If I have escaped without being frozen, there is no chance of my melting.’138‘Why not?139This is a heat that will melt the marrow in your bones--a heat that is only to be felt in the kingdom of the Goddess of Thunder.’140(3)141(3) In the German ‘Donnerstag’--the day of the Thunder God, i.e. Jupiter.142And it WAS hot.143The very iron of the horse’s shoes began to melt, but Petru gave no heed.144The sweat ran down his face, but he dried it with his gauntlet.145What heat could be he never knew before, and on the way, not a stone’s throw from the road, lay the most delicious valleys, full of shady trees and bubbling streams.146When Petru looked at them his heart burned within him, and his mouth grew parched.147And standing among the flowers were lovely maidens who called to him in soft voices, till he had to shut his eyes against their spells.148‘Come, my hero, come and rest; the heat will kill you,’ said they.149Petru shook his head and said nothing, for he had lost the power of speech.150Long he rode in this awful state, how long none can tell.151Suddenly the heat seemed to become less, and, in the distance, he saw a little hut on a hill.152This was the dwelling of the Goddess of Thunder, and when he drew rein at her door the goddess herself came out to meet him.153She welcomed him, and kindly invited him in, and bade him tell her all his adventures.154So Petru told her all that had happened to him, and why he was there, and then took farewell of her, as he had no time to lose.155‘For,’ he said, ‘who knows how far the Fairy of the Dawn may yet be?’1 2← previousThe Fairy of the Dawn, part 1next →The Fairy of the Dawn, part 3↑ back to The Violet Fairy BookThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg641/20/page/2/