The Field of Clover | Page 8

sisters and of their cruel mother was discovered
to the king, and they were all put to death for the crime. Yet the ill they
had done remained; and the king's grief became so great to see his
loved daughter standing dead before him that he removed with his
court to another place, and left this palace to the care of only a few
serving-men, and myself to keep watch and guard over the Princess.
'So now four-fold is the spell that holds her, and to break the lightest of

them the water of the Thirsty Well is needed; with two of its drops laid
upon her eyes memory will come back to her, and her mind will
remember of the things of the past. And for the breaking of the second
spell is needed a blossom of the Burning Rose, and the plucking of that
no man's hand can achieve; but when the Rose is laid upon her breast,
her heart will belong to the world once more, and will beat again under
her bosom. And for the breaking of the third spell one must bring the
breath of the Camphor-Worm that has lain for a whole year inside its
body, and breathe it between her lips; then she will breathe again, and
all her five senses will return to her. And for the last spell only the
Galloping Plough can uproot her back to life, and free her feet for the
ways of earth. Now, here we have the Galloping Plough with no man
who can guide it, and what aid can it be? If these fools should be able
to make it so much as but touch the feet of my dear mistress, she will
be mown down like grass, and die presently for lack of earth; for only
the three other charms I have told you of can put whole life back into
her.'
'As for the mastery of the Plough,' said Noodle, 'I will fetch that from
them in a breath. See, in a moment, how marvellous will be the
uplifting of their eyes!' He put to his lips the firestone ring--the
Sweetener--and blew but one note through it. Then in a moment the
crowd divided hither and thither, with cries of wonder and alarm, for
the Plough turned and bounded back to its master quickly, as an Arab
mare at the call of her owner.
The old woman, weeping for gladness, cried: 'Thou art master of the
Plough! Art thou master of all the other things as well?'
He said: 'Of one thing only. Tell me of the Burning Rose and the
Camphor-Worm; what and where are they? For I am the master of the
ends of the earth by reason of the speed with which this carries me; and
I am lord of the Thirsty Well, and have the Fire-eaters for my friends.'
The old woman clapped her hands, and blessed him for his youth, and
his wisdom, and his courage. 'First,' she said, 'restore to the Princess her
memory by means of the water of the Thirsty Well; then I will show
you the way to the Burning Rose, for the easier thing must be done

first.'
Then Noodle drew out the crystal and breathed in it, calling on the
Well-folk for the two drops of water to lay on Princess Melilot's eyes.
Immediately in the bottom of the cup appeared two blue drops of water,
that came climbing up the sides of the glass and stood trembling
together on the brim. And Noodle, touching them with the firestone
ring to make the memory of things sweet to her, bent back the
Princess's face, and let them fall under her closed lids.
'Look!' cried the faithful nurse, 'light trembles within those eyes of hers!
In there she begins to remember things; but as yet she sees and hears
nothing. Now it is for you to be swift and fetch her the blossom of the
Burning Rose. Be wise, and you shall not fail!'

[Illustration]
V
THE BURNING ROSE
She told him how he was to go, across the desert southward, till he
found a giant, longer in length than a day's journey, lying asleep upon
the sand. Over his head, it was told, hung a cloud, covering him from
the heat and resting itself against his brows; within the cloud was a
dream, and within the dream grew the garden of the Burning Rose.
Than this she knew no more, nor by what means Noodle might gain
entrance and become possessor of the Rose.
Noodle waited for no more; he mounted upon the Galloping Plough,
and pressed away over the desert to the south. For three days he
travelled through parched places, refreshing himself by the way with
the water of the Thirsty