The Red Romance Book Part 25

'It is indeed good fortune that guided you here,' said Gerames when Huon had ended his story, 'for without me and my counsel never would you have reached the kingdom of Babylon. There are two roads which lead to that great city; one will take you forty days, and the other fifteen days, but if you will be ruled by me you will travel by the longer.'

'And wherefore?' asked Huon, whose body was still sore from the hardships he had suffered, and whose ears had been tickled with the tidings of the soft couches and lovely gardens of Babylon the Great.

'The short way leads through a wood which is the home of fairies and other strange creatures,' answered Gerames, 'and in it dwells Oberon, the king of them all, in stature no higher than a child of three years old, but with a face more beautiful than any worn by mortal man. His voice is softer and his words more sweet than we are wont to use; but beware of listening to them, for should you speak to him one word, you will fall into his power for ever. But if you hold your peace think not to escape that way, for he will be so wroth with you that he will cause all manner of tempests to spring up, and a great and black river to rise before you. Fear not to pa.s.s this river, black and swift though it be, for it is but a fantasy, and will not even wet the feet of your horse.

And now that I have told you the ills that lie in that wood, I pray you hearken to my counsel, and ride by the way that is longer.'

Huon paused before he answered. In sooth, Gerames' words had not awakened dread in his soul. Instead, he desired greatly to meet that dwarf, and to try whose will should prove strongest. So he answered that it would ill become a knight, and the son of his father, to shun a meeting with anyone, be he man or fairy, and it might be well for him to take the short road, for many adventures might befall him by the longer.

'Sir,' said Gerames, 'be it as you will; whichever way you take I will go with you.'

Then Huon and Gerames rode at the rear of their company, and entered the wood where Oberon, king of the Fairies, abode. For two days they had neither food nor drink, and Huon repented him of his journey and wished that he had hearkened to Gerames, as perchance the other road might have been easier.

'Let us all alight and seek for food,' said he; but at that moment, Oberon, richly dressed, and covered with precious stones, appeared before them. A magic bow was in his hand, whose arrows never failed to hit the beast he aimed at, while round his neck was slung a horn. Now this horn was unlike any other in the whole world, for one blast of it could cure a man's sickness, even if he was nigh to death, or make him feel satisfied if he lacked meat, or joyful though he was poor, or summon whomsoever he wanted, if he was distant a hundred days' journey.

Seeing the doleful plight of the little company, Oberon blew the third blast, and, behold! Huon and his companions began to sing and dance, as if good fortune had come to them.

'Ah, what strange thing has come to pa.s.s!' cried the young knight. 'But now I was like to fall from my horse from hunger, but in an instant I am filled and wish for nothing.'

'Sir,' said Gerames, 'it is Oberon who has wrought this; but do not suffer yourself to be drawn into speech with him, or you will rue it.'

'Have no fears for me,' answered Huon, 'I will be steadfast.'

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Meeting of Huon and Oberon]

He held his head very high when Oberon the dwarf came up, and begged the knight to speak to him; but Huon only leaped on his horse and signed to his men to do likewise. At that the dwarf waxed angry, and bade a tempest arise, and with it came such a rain and hail that they were sore affrighted. Many times Gerames prayed them to take courage, for these were devices of the fairy king, and would not really hurt them, and as long as they spoke no words they would be safe.

'Have no doubt of me,' answered Huon.

For a while they lost sight of the dwarf, and Huon vainly hoped that they had beaten him off, and that they were rid of him. But in a little time they reached a bridge which spanned a great river, and on the bridge was Oberon himself. Fain would they have slipped past him, but the bridge was narrow, and Oberon stood in the middle. Once more he spoke soft words to Huon, and offered to do him service, but Huon held his peace. Again Oberon was angered sorely, and blew a blast which hindered the company from riding onwards, while four hundred knights of his own came galloping up.

'Slay these men at once,' he cried, shaking with wrath, but their leader implored him to spare them for a s.p.a.ce.

'It will be time enough to kill them if they still keep silence,' said he; and Oberon agreed that he would give them yet another chance, and Huon and his companions rode hastily onwards.

'We have left him full five miles behind us,' said Huon, drawing rein; 'and now that he is not here to trouble us I will say that never in my life did I see so fair a creature. Nor do I think he can do us any ill.

If he should come again, I fain would speak to him, and I pray you, Gerames, not to be displeased with me thereat.'

Gerames' heart was heavy at these words, but he knew well the wilfulness of young men, and he answered nothing. For fifteen days they rode on, and Gerames began to hope that Oberon had given up their pursuit, when suddenly he again appeared.

'n.o.ble sir,' he said to Huon, 'have you resolved in good sooth not to speak to me? I know all your past life, and the task set you by the emperor, and without my help never will you come to the end of that business. Therefore, be warned by me, and go no further.'

'You are welcome, sir,' answered Huon at last, and Oberon laughed for very joy.

'Never did you give a greeting so profitable as this one,' he said, and they rode on together.

_HOW OBERON SAVED HUON_

Oberon was so rejoiced that Huon had at last made friends with him, that he did everything that he could think of to give pleasure to the knight and his friends.

'There is nothing in the world that I cannot have by wishing for it,'

said he, 'and all I possess is yours. And to prove that my words are not vain I will set before you the richest feast that ever you ate. After you have finished, you shall go whithersoever you will.'

So they ate and drank to their hearts' content, but, before they departed, Oberon bade one of his fairy knights to bring him his golden cup, which he showed to Huon.

'Behold,' he said, 'this cup is empty, and will so remain, if any man who has done a deadly sin should seek to drink of it. But he who has led a goodly life, the moment that he takes it in his hands it will become full of wine. Make proof of it yourself, and if you are found worthy the cup shall be yours.'

'Alas, sir,' answered Huon, 'I fear very greatly that I have sinned too deeply for that cup to have any virtue for me, but yet I have repented, and desire from henceforth to wrong no one.' Then he lifted the cup, and the wine brimmed over.

Oberon was right glad when he saw this sight, and gave the cup into his keeping.

'As long as you are true and faithful, you shall never lack drink in it,' said he, 'but if you do falsely to any man, it will lose all its virtue and my help will go from you also. I have likewise another gift for you: take this horn of ivory, and when you are in great straits, and will blow it, however far I may be, I will come to you, and will bring with me a great company to lend you aid. But beware, as you set store by my friendship and by your life, that you do not blow the horn lightly.'

'I give you great thanks for your kindness, and will hearken to your words,' said Huon; 'and now, I pray, let me depart hence to do the emperor's bidding.'

So the knight and the fairy king took leave of each other, and they fared on their way, and in the evening they sat and rested in a green meadow, and ate and drank of the food that Oberon had given them. Now Huon was uplifted by the gifts the king had given him, and thought that he himself must be in some way better than other men, to be singled out for such honour, and, as young men will, he began to boast and talk idly, making pretence that he doubted the magic qualities of the horn and the cup, so that he might prove them at once before his company.

'It was a fair adventure for me when I spoke to Oberon,' said he, 'and that I did not listen to the counsel of Gerames. When I fulfil my mission and return unto the court of the emperor, I will present him with the cup, the like of which he has not got in all his treasury. But as for the horn, how do I know if Oberon spoke the truth concerning it?'

'Oh, sir, be not rash, I entreat you!' cried Gerames, 'for he charged you straitly not to blow the horn save in your direst need.'

'Ay, surely,' answered Huon, 'but for all that I will try what power it has,' and, raising it to his mouth, he blew a loud blast.

At that all the company rose up, and sang and danced joyfully, and Garyn, Huon's uncle, begged him to blow the horn once more.

Oberon heard it, though he was full many miles away.

'What man is so bold as to seek to do him ill whom I love best in all the world?' said Oberon. 'I wish myself and a hundred good men in his company'; and in an instant Huon and his friends beheld the horses'

skins flashing in the bushes. Then Huon's soul smote him, and he bowed his head before Oberon, saying:

'Sir, I have done ill; tell me quickly if death must be my punishment?'

'Where are those that would work you evil?' asked Oberon sternly; but in spite of his wrath Huon took heart of grace, and, confessing his folly, prayed for pardon, which Oberon granted him for very pity, knowing, he said, that Huon would have much to suffer, some things through the wicked ways of others, but more from his own pride and self-will. Then, bidding the young man farewell afresh, the fairy king rode back to the wood.

All befell just as the fairy king had foretold. Giants and mortals alike barred his way; small would have been his chance of ever reaching Babylon had not Oberon himself watched over him, and sent him help when he knew it not. Only one thing he asked of Huon in return--to keep himself from ill-doing and lies, so that he might be worthy to drink from the golden cup.

And thus it came to pa.s.s that after many perils Huon knocked at the first of the four gates of the city.

No sound was heard in answer to his knock, so he seized the great bell that hung there, and rang it loudly. At this a porter opened a little lattice, and asked what great lord it might be who demanded admittance in so rude a fashion, to which Huon answered hotly that he was an envoy from the emperor Charles, and that if the porter refused him entrance he would have to answer for it to his own master.

At that the porter said that if the stranger was an infidel like themselves, the gates should be thrown open at once, but that, should he allow any Christian to enter, he would pay for it with his head.

'But I am as much a Saracen as yourself,' said Huon, who only thought of getting into Babylon and paid no heed to the lie he was telling, or to the dishonour of his words. Then the gates were opened wide, and he entered.