The Bee-Man of Orn | Page 8

that some one must come and speak to the
Griffin.
The Minor Canon had not heard of the strange event, which was known
to the whole town except himself and the three old women, and when
he was informed of it, and was told that the Griffin had asked to see
him, he was greatly amazed, and frightened.
"Me!" he exclaimed. "He has never heard of me! What should he want
with me?"
"Oh! you must go instantly!" cried the two men. "He is very angry now
because he has been kept waiting so long; and nobody knows what may
happen if you don't hurry to him."
The poor Minor Canon would rather have had his hand cut off than go
out to meet an angry griffin; but he felt that it was his duty to go, for it
would be a woful thing if injury should come to the people of the town
because he was not brave enough to obey the summons of the Griffin.
So, pale and frightened, he started off.
"Well," said the Griffin, as soon as the young man came near, "I am
glad to see that there is some one who has the courage to come to me."
The Minor Canon did not feel very courageous, but he bowed his head.
"Is this the town," said the Griffin, "where there is a church with a
likeness of myself over one of the doors?"
The Minor Canon looked at the frightful creature before him and saw
that it was, without doubt, exactly like the stone image on the church.
"Yes," he said, "you are right."

"Well, then," said the Griffin, "will you take me to it? I wish very much
to see it."
The Minor Canon instantly thought that if the Griffin entered the town
without the people knowing what he came for, some of them would
probably be frightened to death, and so he sought to gain time to
prepare their minds.
"It is growing dark, now," he said, very much afraid, as he spoke, that
his words might enrage the Griffin, "and objects on the front of the
church can not be seen clearly. It will be better to wait until morning, if
you wish to get a good view of the stone image of yourself."
"That will suit me very well," said the Griffin. "I see you are a man of
good sense. I am tired, and I will take a nap here on this soft grass,
while I cool my tail in the little stream that runs near me. The end of
my tail gets red-hot when I am angry or excited, and it is quite warm
now. So you may go, but be sure and come early to-morrow morning,
and show me the way to the church."
The Minor Canon was glad enough to take his leave, and hurried into
the town. In front of the church he found a great many people
assembled to hear his report of his interview with the Griffin. When
they found that he had not come to spread ruin and devastation, but
simply to see his stony likeness on the church, they showed neither
relief nor gratification, but began to upbraid the Minor Canon for
consenting to conduct the creature into the town.
"What could I do?" cried the young man. "If I should not bring him he
would come himself and, perhaps, end by setting fire to the town with
his red-hot tail."
Still the people were not satisfied, and a great many plans were
proposed to prevent the Griffin from coming into the town. Some
elderly persons urged that the young men should go out and kill him;
but the young men scoffed at such a ridiculous idea. Then some one
said that it would be a good thing to destroy the stone image so that the
Griffin would have no excuse for entering the town; and this proposal

was received with such favor that many of the people ran for hammers,
chisels, and crowbars, with which to tear down and break up the stone
griffin. But the Minor Canon resisted this plan with all the strength of
his mind and body. He assured the people that this action would enrage
the Griffin beyond measure, for it would be impossible to conceal from
him that his image had been destroyed during the night. But the people
were so determined to break up the stone griffin that the Minor Canon
saw that there was nothing for him to do but to stay there and protect it.
All night he walked up and down in front of the church-door, keeping
away the men who brought ladders, by which they might mount to the
great stone griffin, and knock it to pieces with their hammers and
crowbars.