Children’s Stories - Oscar Wilde (that summer book txt) 📗

day’s journey from this place have, I hidden the Ring of Riches. It is but a day’s journey from this place, and it waits for thy coming. He who has this Ring is richer than all the kings of the world. Come therefore and take it, and the world’s riches shall be thine.”

But the young Fisherman laughed. “Love is better than Riches,” he cried, “and the little Mermaid loves me.”

“Nay, but there is nothing better than Riches,” said the Soul.

“Love is better,” answered the young Fisherman, and he plunged into the deep, and the Soul went weeping away over the marshes.

And after the third year was over, the Soul came down to the shore of the sea, and called to the young Fisherman, and he rose out of the deep and said, “Why dost thou call to me?”

And the Soul answered, “Come nearer, that I may speak with thee, for I have seen marvellous things.”

So he came nearer, and couched in the shallow water, and leaned his head upon his hand and listened.

And the Soul said to him, “In a city that I know of there is an inn that standeth by a river. I sat there with sailors who drank of two different-coloured wines, and ate bread made of barley, and little salt fish served in bay leaves with vinegar. And as we sat and made merry, there entered to us an old man bearing a leathern carpet and a lute that had two horns of amber. And when he had laid out the carpet on the floor, he struck with a quill on the wire strings of his lute, and a girl whose face was veiled ran in and began to dance before us. Her face was veiled with a veil of gauze, but her feet were naked. Naked were her feet, and they moved over the carpet like little white pigeons. Never have I seen anything so marvellous; and the city in which she dances is but a day’s journey from this place.”

Now when the young Fisherman heard the words of his Soul, he remembered that the little Mermaid had no feet and could not dance. And a great desire came over him, and he said to himself, “It is but a day’s journey, and I can return to my love,” and he laughed, and stood up in the shallow water, and strode towards the shore.

And when he had reached the dry shore he laughed again, and held out his arms to his Soul. And his Soul gave a great cry of joy and ran to meet him, and entered into him, and the young Fisherman saw stretched before him upon the sand that shadow of the body that is the body of the Soul.

And his Soul said to him, “Let us not tarry, but get hence at once, for the Sea-gods are jealous, and have monsters that do their bidding.”

So they made haste, and all that night they journeyed beneath the moon, and all the next day they journeyed beneath the sun, and on the evening of the day they came to a city.

And the young Fisherman said to his Soul, “Is this the city in which she dances of whom thou didst speak to me?”

And his Soul answered him, “It is not this city, but another. Nevertheless let us enter in.” So they entered in and passed through the streets, and as they passed through the Street of the Jewellers the young Fisherman saw a fair silver cup set forth in a booth. And his Soul said to him, “Take that silver cup and hide it.”

So he took the cup and hid it in the fold of his tunic, and they went hurriedly out of the city.

And after that they had gone a league from the city, the young Fisherman frowned, and flung the cup away, and said to his Soul, “Why didst thou tell me to take this cup and hide it, for it was an evil thing to do?”

But his Soul answered him, “Be at peace, be at peace.”

And on the evening of the second day they came to a city, and the young Fisherman said to his Soul, “Is this the city in which she dances of whom thou didst speak to me?”

And his Soul answered him, “It is not this city, but another. Nevertheless let us enter in.” So they entered in and passed through the streets, and as they passed through the Street of the Sellers of Sandals, the young Fisherman saw a child standing by a jar of water. And his Soul said to him, “Smite that child.” So he smote the child till it wept, and when he had done this they went hurriedly out of the city.

And after that they had gone a league from the city the young Fisherman grew wroth, and said to his Soul, “Why didst thou tell me to smite the child, for it was an evil thing to do?”

But his Soul answered him, “Be at peace, be at peace.”

And on the evening of the third day they came to a city, and the young Fisherman said to his Soul, “Is this the city in which she dances of whom thou didst speak to me?”

And his Soul answered him, “It may be that it is in this city, therefore let us enter in.”

So they entered in and passed through the streets, but nowhere could the young Fisherman find the river or the inn that stood by its side. And the people of the city looked curiously at him, and he grew afraid and said to his Soul, “Let us go hence, for she who dances with white feet is not here.”

But his Soul answered, “Nay, but let us tarry, for the night is dark and there will be robbers on the way.”

So he sat him down in the marketplace and rested, and after a time there went by a hooded merchant who had a cloak of cloth of Tartary, and bare a lantern