第91章 DAPPLEGRIM(3)

The youth went to the King and asked for all the things that Dapplegrim had named, and once more, as the King thought that it would be disgraceful to refuse them to him, he obtained them all.

So he mounted Dapplegrim and rode away from the Court, and when he had ridden for a long, long time over hills and moors, Dapplegrim asked: `Do you hear anything?'

`Yes; there is such a dreadful whistling up above in the air that I think I am growing alarmed,' said the youth.

`That is all the wild birds in the forest flying about; they are sent to stop us,' said Dapplegrim.`But just cut a hole in the corn sacks, and then they will be so busy with the corn that they will forget us.'

The youth did it.He cut holes in the corn sacks so that barley and rye ran out on every side, and all the wild birds that were in the forest came in such numbers that they darkened the sun.But when they caught sight of the corn they could not refrain from it, but flew down and began to scratch and pick at the corn and rye, and at last they began to fight among themselves, and forgot all about the youth and Dapplegrim, and did them no harm.

And now the youth rode onwards for a long, long time, over hill and dale, over rocky places and morasses, and then Dapplegrim began to listen again, and asked the youth if he heard anything now.

`Yes; now I hear such a dreadful crackling and crashing in the forest on every side that I think I shall be really afraid,' said the youth.

`That is all the wild beasts in the forest,' said Dapplegrim;`they are sent out to stop us.But just throw out the twelve carcasses of the oxen, and they will be so much occupied with them that they will quite forget us.' So the youth threw out the carcasses of the oxen, and then all the wild beasts in the forest, both bears and wolves, and lions, and grim beasts of all kinds, came.But when they caught sight of the carcasses of the oxen they began to fight for them till the blood flowed, and they entirely forgot Dapplegrim and the youth.

So the youth rode onwards again, and many and many were the new scenes they saw, for travelling on Dapplegrim's back was not travelling slowly, as may be imagined, and then Dapplegrim neighed.

`Do you hear anything? he said.

`Yes; I heard something like a foal neighing quite plainly a long, long way off,' answered the youth.

`That's a full-grown colt,' said Dapplegrim, `if you hear it so plainly when it is so far away from us.'

So they travelled onwards a long time, and saw one new scene after another once more.Then Dapplegrim neighed again.

`Do you hear anything now?' said he.

`Yes; now I heard it quite distinctly, and it neighed like a full-grown horse,' answered the youth.

`Yes, and you will hear it again very soon,' said Dapplegrim;`and then you will hear what a voice it has.' So they travelled on through many more different kinds of country, and then Dapplegrim neighed for the third time; but before he could ask the youth if he heard anything, there was such a neighing on the other side of the heath that the youth thought that hills and rocks would be rent in pieces.

`Now he is here!' said Dapplegrim.`Be quick, and fling over me the ox-hides that have the spikes in them, throw the twelve tons of tar over the field, and climb up into that great spruce fir tree.When he comes, fire will spurt out of both his nostrils, and then the tar will catch fire.Now mark what I say--if the flame ascends I conquer, and if it sinks I fail; but if you see that I am winning, fling the bridle, which you must take off me, over his head, and then he will become quite gentle.'

Just as the youth had flung all the hides with the spikes over Dapplegrim, and the tar over the field, and had got safely up into the spruce fir, a horse came with flame spouting from his nostrils, and the tar caught fire in a moment; and Dapplegrim and the horse began to fight until the stones leapt up to the sky.They bit, and they fought with their fore legs and their hind legs, and sometimes the youth looked at them.and sometimes he looked at the tar, but at last the flames began to rise, for wheresoever the strange horse bit or wheresoever he kicked he hit upon the spikes in the hides, and at length he had to yield.When the youth saw that, he was not long in getting down from the tree and flinging the bridle over the horse's head, and then he became so tame that he might have been led by a thin string.