The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-05-15

him. but at the last moment away he
went again.
If it had not been for damsel who
was sitting on stone he might never
have caught the steed; but when she
saw what he Was trying TO do she rose
and held out her hand to the animal
~and he willingly let her take the bride
rein. She held him. stroking his nose,
until Alfred came up.
rs this your horse?" she asked him.
smiling.
Alfred saw that she was richly
dressed in a way that seemed to him
different from the usual fashion. She
had tall, peaked hat on her head with
a golden veil attached to the point of
it and hanging down behind Her dress
was crimson and she wore a great
many golden chains around her neck.
Also she had many bright rings upon
her fingers.
NO. ma am. he said.
Whose is it2" the damsel asked
1T belongs TO the knight of the Sill
yer Armor," said Alfred Il left him
hung up in the woods"
OH cried the Damsel Can it be
possible? We were TO have been mar
ried and I was waiting here for him.
expecting him every minute. Is he in
great danger"
Il think So Alfred said
Then we must make haste TO set
him free the Damsel exclaimed.
Lead the way and / will follow.
Alfred did as she babe him and she
followed close behind, holding the
steed by the bride rein The Damsel
asked great many questions about
the accident and how it happened. but
of course Alfred could not tell her
much about that.
She suddenly stopped when they
reached the ruins apd looked about her
with curiosity as though she had been
there before, but could not quite re-
member the place.
1T seems to me that there was once
a castle here. she said.
ITS very likely that there was one,
said Alfred.
L do not recall it clearly" she went
on. pressing her slender hand to her
forehead There was something that
l would like to remember. What could
it have been?'
Both of them stood still for a mo-
ment and then the snow white -steed
surprised them. He walked to the third
block of stone that lay on the ground
half hidden in the grass and struck
upon it three times with his hoof. In
stantIy the stone broke into two parts
and a monstrous toad hopped out ana
sat looking at them
What horrid. ugly creature. the
Damsel exclaimed.
But the snow white steed put ms
nose down and seemed to be whisper
ing to the toad-that is, suppos1nS that
he knew how to whisper-and the TOAD
Immediately began to hop slowly down
the hill toward the wood They all
followed him, wondering what ne was
going to do.
stream without stopping TO take
breath. Alfred thought he seemed
very active for a toad that had oeeh
shut up in the stone as long as ne
must have been. When he was IN the
middle of the bridge he fell over the
side and went-splash-into the water.
"Oh. he'll be drowned the Damsel
cried. But hardly had she spoken wheh
a handsome Princerose out OF the water
where the toad had disappeared
He was wet through, but he took on
his cap and made low bow 10 the
DamseI. She smiled Sweetly at him.
Alfred looked in the water for the
toad. but it was nowhere to be seen, and
he concluded that in some manner the
water had changed the toad into the
Prince. This seemed to him very re-
markable but neither the steed nor the
Damsel looked much surprised, so he de
cided to say nothing about it,
WHITTIER are YOU going? the Prince
s asked putting his cap back on his head
and climbing up out of the stream He
had no sooner reached the bank than
he became entirely dry.
cue the knight in the silver ArmOr
from the enchanted tree" the Damsel
said.
May go with you?" he asked.