Show ALFRED AND T THE HANGING KNIGHT KNIGHT How the Damsel Caught the lle Snow v. White Steed and What Happened When WIlen the Prince Came Out of the I IW W Water r BY B BACTON ACTON ARCHER i MOORE lived when ho Ile h was teas eight years oH old not far r from froma rom A a n city with his parents In the neighborhood of or their house were some ruins he beside irie a a. stream which he liked to visit Th They y tt were re very old oM ruins sad and the stones were quite gray with moss Alfred was wan standing on the low loon hill hm where the ruins were one afternoon when he heard beard the sound round of n a horn from the distance He Hc could not tell at first where the sound came from but after a while he decided that it must come from E some Olne woods Yh When n he lae went town toward hi them he was soon certain that he was right for the sound round kept rowing growing Jou louder er erand and end loader londer the nearer he be came to the woods until at nt last Jagt it sounded quite clear Ta uTa ra ra ra rat 1 Ta ra rn ra ml I down hut but wt il II only just t I touch touch Alfred I iI jumped rim rd a and 1111 caught his lii IIII hand hand at the l' l risk lisk k of pulling III the night Knight I down on oil hi his head He lIe found food that he be could fi swing in to and md fm fro h by holdin holding fast to the hand but hut the Knight still hung wh where rc he was on That t t ont do said iid fI the Knight n at t last laRt Im I sure lIre I r dont don't know knoon ho how we e can manage c Alfred said Mid Ill 1 tell you the Knight said nill after a 1 morn moment nt of thought Hanging from the saddle of my steed you will find a aI sword It I Is enchanted and aDd very sharp I so co o you yon must b bo be careful how i I handle I lit it it Take the Take the thc sword climb limb up into the tree and cut off ofT the branch from which hichI I am nm suspended uT n Than Thon I shall 1 fall nil to the ground bround Alfred approached the hor horse c but hut the I animal did not like to let Jet him come too near and kept moving moin away But he finally managed to catch him and to unhook unhook unhook un un- un- un hook the sword from rom the saddle It was very cry heavy Y and long Jong The hc next thin thing was to get got up into the tree with it Se Several Sev oral eral times Alfred Alfrd tried this without success suc sue cess but on the tenth trial he found himself himself him him- self in tha tho tree Then he lie drew the sword from its sheath which he allowed a to fall fan fanto to the ground The Jon long blade was blue and as ns sharp as 38 a razor Strike hard har 1 said the Knight who was watching him anxiously JY all nn the time Alfred struck the branch as ns hard as ns ashe ashe he could but hul instead of cutting it off the sword broke into a n hundred pieces and the fla fragments fell to the ground It i is an nn enchanted branch the Knight said I was as afraid of that all aJl the the time Now there is nothing to do but to look in the leather bag that han hangs s from the saddle of m my steed and bring roe imp 1111 the small rolden flask that you Oll will find there I hoped tint that it might not be beto necessary to use it but hut I J See ce there i is no other way I Alfred Ifred was beginning to In he be alarmed all about the Knight for his sliver silver J cr armor W was S hea heavy y send and as 8 he was hanging with onith his hi head and feet down laiR his face was growing To quite red So bo Le slid down the trunk of the tree and ran toward rd the steed sted once more Rut But the steed this time refused to permit him to come up with him hum but hut trotted away out of oC the tho wood and over the hill past the nun Now and then he would world stop to taste a mouthful of grass and Alfred thought that Hint he lie was wason wason on the point of catching him lam but hilt at It the thc thelast last moment away awny ho lie w went Jl a again ain I If it bad not been for or a n D Damsel who I Iwas sitting on a stone he lie might never It b belongs to the in the tho Silver il cr Armor said Alfred I 1 left him hun hung up In the woods Ohl cried the Damsel DI Can Cnn it bo hC possible We e were to have been ben married married mar mar- ried l and I was waiting w here for him expecting him every minute Is It be he in great t danger er I think so 50 Alfred said Then t wo WI e mutt must make haste to tn sot set t him free the fhe Damsel eJ exclaimed Lead the way t and mr I will follow Alfred did diel as she ba bade e him and md she Collow followed d close behind holding the steed h by the thc bridle rein The Damsel asked I Ia a 1 great t many questions about ac- ac and how it happened but hill of course e Alfred could not tell teU her much about I that lint I She suddenly stopped when hen they the 1111 rains mint and looked shout abour her 1 with Uhl curiosity as ns though she had been there lucre before but could not qu quite le remember t ber r the placeit place pi It ft scorns eNn to me mo that hat th t there Wl was once a castle here heN she h said Its very verr likely that there was 01 ore one I said AlfredI Alfred I 1 do not recall it clearly dearly she fhe went wont wonton on nn nn preg pressing in her slender hand tp her forehead d There was something that I would like Jike to remember What hat could it have been Both of them stood still for or a n moment I and then the snow white steed surprised them He lIe walked to the third block of stone that lay on In the tho th ground half hidden in the grass ra 8 and struck upon it throe hirer Lim times J with his hoof Instantly the stone broke into two parts laid and a monstrous toad hopped hoppen out and nd sat looking at nt them What a 1 horrid lI ugly ly creature the Damsel exclaimed But RUl the snow white stud st sto- sto d put his no nose noc e down n and s emed teemed to h bo be whispering to the toad toad that that is supposing that he lie knew I 4 j It f t i y l a 4 m I I- I r 4 e 2 r f I f 1 r Pl r r i I i 7 i TJ S SI l l f I I d r It was dark in the woods because the trees were very largo and old and had a n great many branches Alfred bad had not gone one far before he disco discovered ered n a Knight in in silver stiver armor haD hanging from a branch lie He had been riding his snow now white E steed through the woods and nud a branch had caught under his bis belt so that it lifted him from rom his bis saddle and left him hanging haning up UI when the st steed ed went on The steed was close dose by waiting patiently for his master Luckily the Knight had kept his bis silver er bugle and he blew upon this in the hope that some passing stranger might h heir ir the call and re- re rescue him from his dangerous danger danger- ous position It was as this that Alfred hotel hid bad heard Come here boy and nd take n me down the Knight called ed as soon as he caught sight bight of Alfred How low am I going to do it Alfred ed asked standing beneath and looking up at him lIe He reached up and the Knight reached e I G The next thing was to get getup up into the the tree with it have caught ht the steed nut hilt when she saw what he was tens trying to do s blue bile hc rose and aud held out ont her hand lIand to the animal and he willingly minJI let Jet her take the thc bridle rein Sh She Sho held him stroking his nose Dose until Alfred AUred came me up Is this horse she asked him smiling Alfred d saw W that th she was richly dressed in a 1 way that seemed to him different from the tho usual fashion She had a n tall taJ peaked hat on her h head with ith a n. golden oJ ell veil attached attach to the point of oC it and hangIng hanging hang hang- In Ing down own behind Her Iier dress drees was crim- crim son t-ou and she sho wore a n great rent many mans gol golden en enchains chains around her neck Also she she hud hind hudman man many bright ht rings ring upon her fingers No Xo maam ma'am he said enid Whose hose is it the Damsel naked asked how to whisper whisper and and the toad immediately immediately immedi immedi- began to hop slowly down I own the hill lull toward the wood Th They nil all followed him lIim wondering what t he was t going in to do lIe He reached the tho bridge over the stream without stopping to taste taio breath Alfred thought ht ho he seemed very active for a I toad that lund had been shut up tip iu in the stone as 88 JOD long as he m must hl have e been When hen he het I was WitS in the middle of the bridge he fell feil over the tIle si side e and went went splash splash into the he I water Wlter I Oh hell he'll he be drowned the tho Damsel cried but hardly had she spoken when a handsome Prin Prince c rose out of the water Witter where the tile toad had hajJ disappeared He lie was vas wet through but he took off his C cap P and made a n low vow bow ow to the Dam Dam- DamseL seL sc She smiled sweetly s at him |