Tales of Wonder

Tales of Wonder

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Tales of Wonder, by Lord Dunsany This eBook is for
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Title: Tales of Wonder
Author: Lord Dunsany
Release Date: October 21, 2004 [EBook #13821]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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Produced by Tom Harris

TALES OF WONDER
by Lord Dunsany

Preface
Ebrington Barracks
Aug. 16th 1916.
I do not know where I may be when this preface is read. As I write it in August 1916, I
am at Ebrington Barracks, Londonderry, recovering from a slight wound. But it does not
greatly matter where I am; my dreams are here before you amongst the following pages;
and writing in a day when life is cheap, dreams seem to me all the dearer, the only things
that survive.
Just now the civilization of Europe seems almost to have ceased, and nothing seems to
grow in her torn fields but death, yet this is only for a while and dreams will come back
again and bloom as of old, all the more radiantly for this terrible ploughing, as the
flowers will bloom again where the trenches are and the primroses shelter in shell-holes
for many seasons, when weeping Liberty has come home to Flanders.
To some of you in America this may seem an unnecessary and wasteful quarrel, as other
people's quarrels often are; but it comes to this that though we are all killed there will be
songs again, but if we were to submit and so survive there could be neither songs nor
dreams, nor any joyous free things any more.

And do not regret the lives that are wasted amongst us, or the work that the dead would
have done, for war is no accident that man's care could have averted, but is as natural,
though not as regular, as the tides; as well regret the things that the tide has washed away,
which destroys and cleanses and crumbles, and spares the minutest shells.
And now I will write nothing further about our war, but offer you these books of dreams
from Europe as one throws things of value, if only to oneself, at the last moment out of a
burning house.
DUNSANY.

A Tale of London
"Come," said the Sultan to his hasheesh-eater in the very furthest lands that know Bagdad,
"dream to me now of London."
And the hasheesh-eater made a low obeisance and seated himself cross-legged upon a
purple cushion broidered with golden poppies, on the floor, beside an ivory bowl where
the hasheesh was, and having eaten liberally of the hasheesh blinked seven times and
spoke thus:
"O Friend of God, know then that London is the desiderate town even of all Earth's cities.
Its houses are of ebony and cedar which they roof with thin copper plates that the hand of
Time turns green. They have golden balconies in which amethysts are where they sit and
watch the sunset. Musicians in the gloaming steal softly along the ways; unheard their
feet fall on the white sea-sand with which those ways are strewn, and in the darkness
suddenly they play on dulcimers and instruments with strings. Then are there murmurs in
the balconies praising their skill, then are there bracelets cast down to them for reward
and golden necklaces and even pearls.
"Indeed but the city is fair; there is by the sandy ways a paving all alabaster, and the
lanterns along it are of chrysoprase, all night long they shine green, but of amethyst are
the lanterns of the balconies.
"As the musicians go along the ways dancers gather about them and dance upon the
alabaster pavings, for joy and not for hire. Sometimes a window opens far up in an ebony
palace and a wreath is cast down to a dancer or orchids showered upon them.
"Indeed of many cities have I dreamt but of none fairer, through many marble
metropolitan gates hasheesh has led me, but London is its secret, the last gate of all; the
ivory bowl has nothing more to show. And indeed even now the imps that crawl behind
me and that will not let me be are plucking me by the elbow and bidding my spirit return,
for well they know that I have seen too much. 'No, not London,' they say; and therefore I
will speak of some other city, a city of some less mysterious land, and anger not the imps
with forbidden things. I will speak of Persepolis or famous Thebes."
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