With a low obeisance the dwarf introduced the boy to the royal pair.
The lovely Queen was much smaller than Kuno, and yet she looked so dignified that the child knelt and reverently kissed the little hand which she graciously extended to him.
"Thy n.o.ble mother was my friend," she said with a gentle voice, "and thou art dear to us as one of our own. Every night, if thou wilt, thou mayest come to us to forget thy little troubles in our hall. Look thou around; all are ready to love thee and give thee pleasure."
As she spoke she raised her white hand and pointed to the lovely children at the foot of the throne, and to the troops of little dwarfs that were a.s.sembled in the hall. Then the royal children came up to greet him, and after them the little dwarfs with their grave wise countenances; they gave him their hands, and met his wondering gaze with friendly looks. And the poor friendless boy, who hitherto had felt himself alone and forsaken, felt happy, now that he found such unexpected kindness and love such as he had never felt since his mother"s death. All his troubles vanished from his memory in this enchanted kingdom. Hour after hour flew by, and to the child they seemed but minutes. Then the dwarf who had brought him took his hand and drew him away. Kuno was sorry to go, but he followed his little guide.
"Do not weep," said the latter kindly. "Thou mayest come back every night; but take care that thou tell no one of thy visits, or some great calamity may be the consequence."
When they reached the garden the stars had already grown pale, and the first streaks of dawn were showing in the east.
"Let us make haste," said the dwarf anxiously, "for we dwellers below ground can only live under the light of the stars--the sun"s rays kill us."
Soon they arrived at the winding staircase at the foot of the tower.
The gate was locked, but the dwarf brought out a strangely-formed key, put it into the lock, and immediately the heavy iron-barred door turned noiselessly on its hinges. It was the same with all the other doors as soon as the wonderful key touched them, and softly the wanderers slipped through the rooms and pa.s.sed the sleeping servants.
Kuno reached unseen the room that he shared with Eckbert, and then the dwarf hastened home.
Eckbert had tried to keep awake to receive Kuno with scolding and reproaches, for the child had been missed at supper and sought for, of course in vain. But he had fallen asleep over his generous plan.
Kuno was still slumbering sweetly when Eckbert woke, sprang out of bed, and shook the boy roughly.
"Where were you yesterday? Speak!" he shouted; but Kuno, mindful of the dwarf"s warning, kept silence. But when Eckbert raised his arm to strike the child, an invisible hand gave him such a powerful blow on the ear that he staggered half unconscious against the wall. He felt uncomfortable at the thought of the unseen avenger, and he left Kuno in peace, but told the whole story to his mother, wickedly distorting it as he went on. At breakfast she ordered the boy to tell where he had been; but though his heart beat fast with terror, he closed his lips tightly and remained silent.
"I will conquer your obstinacy," said the lady angrily; "you shall sleep in the room in the tower, and go earlier to bed."
In the evening she took him herself to the lonely chamber, from which the winding stair led to the garden; for she thought that fear of the uninhabited and lonely room would force the boy to tell his secret.
But when he went without a word, and lay down uncomplainingly on his bed, anger rose high in the proud lady"s heart. "Eckbert is right,"
she thought; "his obstinacy must be conquered."
With a prayer to G.o.d, and a fervent wish that his little friends would not forget him, Kuno fell asleep. And they did not forget him. About midnight the little dwarf stood once more at his side, wakened him, and led him into the enchanted palace.
The little folk greeted him joyfully, the royal pair reached him their hands, and amid splendour and pleasure the hours flew by. His friends showed him the rooms that he had not seen the day before--the crystal chambers full of golden ornaments, which every family possessed, and which far outshone the most splendid palaces of earthly kings. They showed him wonderful things which they knew how to make--birds made of precious stones, from whose transparent throats sweet songs poured forth; fruits and flowers, shaped out of jewels, whose beauty and fragrance was like that of the flowers of Eden. Kuno"s astonishment and delight knew no bounds; the hours went by too quickly, and when the stars began to pale the dwarf led him back to his room in the tower. And every night at midnight the same dwarf brought him back to the enchanted kingdom. There he forgot all the trials of the day--all Eckbert"s spiteful tricks, and Lady Von Allenstein"s injustice. But it was not alone to please and amuse him that the little people brought the boy to visit them--they cared also for his mind and heart.
In this magic kingdom lived an aged dwarf with long snow-white hair and beard; a supernatural light shone in his eyes. All the dwarfs, even the King and Queen, treated him with the greatest reverence, for he was the oldest man of their nation, and also the wisest. He could look back through thousands of years; he knew everything in the whole earth--all plants and stones; he knew about their origin, and had watched their growth. Often, when the King and Queen were sitting on the throne, the wise man would come into the hall and seat himself on the pearl steps; then the lovely royal children, Kuno in their midst, would gather round and listen as he told with beaming eyes about the wonders of creation, and the mysterious forces of nature. Words of kindness and wisdom flowed from his lips, and it seemed to the boy as if he were sitting in church or at the feet of his dead mother.
[Ill.u.s.tration: KUNO LISTENS TO THE WISE MAN"S TALK.]
But even happier hours than these he spent playing with the children in the crystal hall, letting the beautiful lizards dart down on his outstretched hand, or the sky-blue snakes glide down and wind playfully round his feet. Once, when he was preparing to go home after one of his visits, King Goldemar held the hand that he had extended in farewell, and spoke to him in a low and confidential tone. Kuno nodded with a happy smile. Next morning joy shone from his soft eyes and betrayed itself in his cheerful mood, which made so strange a contrast to the silent gravity of his usual demeanour. The change did not escape the quick eye of the Countess; but she took care not to ask the reason, for she thought she could guess it already.
Earlier than usual Kuno said "Good night," and went to his room, but not to bed. He worked about, fastening wax candles, which he had got beforehand from the steward, on the walls, and trying to give the room a festive appearance; then he put on his best clothes, sat down on his bed, and waited.
At last the castle clock struck twelve, and immediately soft music sounded in the distance; it came nearer and nearer, and soon floated up the winding stair. In a few moments the door opened of itself, and in came Kuno"s dwarf friends, marching two and two, and all arrayed in festive garments. They held their invisible caps in their hands, swinging them in measured time, so that the silver bells that ornamented them rang in magic melody. Then followed, escorted by Goldemar and the Queen, a bridal pair, whose wedding feast was to be held in a human dwelling for the blessing and well-being of its occupant. Kuno advanced to meet his guests, and greeted them joyfully; then to the sound of wondrous music the dance began. This was led by the King and his lovely consort, their crowns flashing lightning at every quick graceful movement; then followed the bridal pair in garments gleaming with gold. Kuno had taken the hand of a pretty dwarf-maiden, and now mingled merrily in the splendid throng. All was mirth and gaiety.
Suddenly the music stopped, the dancers stood still, and all eyes turned in indignation towards an opening in the ceiling where the face of Lady Von Allenstein was visible.
Goldemar"s eyes flashed angrily.
"Blow out the lights!" he cried to one of his train; and in a twinkling the little fellow had climbed up the wall, and before the lady had time to suspect that this command had anything to do with her, the dwarf reached the opening, and blew into her face.
A fearful scream followed; then the King turned to Kuno and said--
"Accept our thanks, my dear child, for thy hospitality; it is not thy fault that we cannot stay longer. Farewell!"
Then the little people turned quickly towards the door, and soon the boy was alone.
Faint moans were now heard from above, and a sound as of suppressed weeping.
Kuno also had seen the face of the lady, and knew that these doleful sounds were uttered by her. Deep compa.s.sion filled his heart; he forgot all the unhappiness that this woman had caused him, and, filled only with the thought of helping her, he took a candle in his hand and hastened to clamber up to her.
He found her crouching on the ground, her hands pressed before her eyes.
"What is wrong, gracious lady?" asked Kuno timidly.
"Oh, I am blind! I am blind!" she groaned piteously. "The dwarf blew into my eyes, and my sight left me."
Kuno, full of pity, seized her hand and led her tenderly step by step down the winding stair, and on to her own apartment.
After calling a maid to her a.s.sistance, he returned to say good-night to the poor lady. What he had never done in her days of health he did now--he drew her hand to his lips and kissed it fervently. The lady felt a hot tear drop on her hand; silently, but with scarce-concealed emotion, she drew it away. This tear burned like unquenchable fire, not only on her hand, but on her soul.
She spent a long and sleepless night; this unexpected calamity had crushed her hard heart. But though the light was taken from her eyes, a new day dawned within her. Her dislike of Kuno, her hardness and injustice towards the orphan child, all pa.s.sed through her mind in fiery procession; and when she thought of Kuno"s n.o.ble conduct, a flood of penitent tears streamed from her sightless eyes.
Eckbert, on hearing of his mother"s misfortune, showed himself as heartless as ever. He railed at the dwarf and at Kuno as the real cause of it. But he had not any idea of sitting through the long tedious hours with his poor blind mother--that was Kuno"s business, he thought, for he had been the cause of it all. On the contrary, freed from all restraint, Eckbert amused himself more than ever with the chase and with drinking bouts, and tyrannised worse than before over all around him.
Kuno behaved towards the unhappy lady like a loving son. He sat with her and cared for her wants as if she had been his own beloved mother.
When the summer came he led her out every day into the garden or to the rock where his mother lay, and tried to amuse her with his childish talk.
Lady Von Allenstein was often deeply moved when she felt Kuno"s tenderness and thought of her own heartlessness. Once her emotion overcame her, and she drew Kuno to her side, and said with tears--"You are so good to me, who was so unkind to you; can you forgive me for all the wrong I have done you? Oh! if I could only get back my sight, I would take every opportunity of making up to you for my injustice."
Kuno was still on the most friendly terms with the dwarf nation, and regarded the enchanted palace as his second home.
Exactly a year had pa.s.sed since that wedding in the tower-chamber, when King Goldemar again expressed a wish to hold a similar feast in the same room.
Kuno"s heart beat high with joy at these words; perhaps--but he would cherish no presumptuous hopes.
Again the room was festively decorated; but no one in the castle got the least hint of what was to take place in the isolated room. The little guests appeared, and this time the merriment went on undisturbed.
But dawn, the time of separation, was drawing near, and Goldemar held out his hand to his protege to say good-bye. Then Kuno held it fast, and looked entreatingly into the good King"s face.
"What dost thou want, Kuno?" asked Goldemar.
"I have one pet.i.tion, the fulfilment of which will make me happy,"
answered the boy.
"Name it," said the King graciously; "it is granted."
Then Kuno led the King to the bed and drew back the curtains. There sat a pale lady in deep mourning, her dark sightless eyes fixed vacantly before her.
"Give her back her sight," begged Kuno, pointing to Lady Von Allenstein.