470 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2°<» S. X. Dkc. 15. '60. 



if the end of the world had come. The sailor 

 moaned and shrieked, and the animals whimpered 

 from fear ; the youth alone was cool and calm. 

 When the sailor at last gave up everything for 

 lost, when the sails were torn in pieces, and the 

 mast went by the board, and it seemed impossible 

 that anything could be saved, he seized the helm 

 and kept hold of it until the fury of the storm had 

 spent itself, the rough waves were calm, and the 

 sun again emerged from behind the clouds. 



There lay the land of the giants right in front 

 of them ; so our hero, after again paying the fer- 

 ryman handsomely, went his way with his horse 

 and the lion. He bad not gone far before the 

 nine giants came blustering up to him, whirling 

 their iron clubs above their heads, and shouting 

 all at once, " Pay us the toll ! Give us your 

 feet ! Make haste, give us your feet ! We must 

 have your feet ! " " Don't shout so loud," said 

 the youth ; " I hear you. Who is it wants my 

 feet ? " " We do," cried the four first, who would 

 have fallen upon him ; but whish ! went the sword, 

 and all four lay as quiet as mice. Then he ran 

 to the five others who had not come up so quickly; 

 whish! went the sword again, and immediately 

 three of them fell, the other two being consumed 

 by the lion for his dinner, and he ate so much 

 that he could not stir from the spot. 



Full of joy the youth looked round, and there 

 in the distance lay a wonderfully beautiful city, 

 which flashed and beamed in the sun like pure 

 gold. He rested a moment, and then putting 

 spurs to his horse he galloped towards the city ; 

 and the nearer he approached it the more insup- 

 portable became its lustre. 



" That must be the Kingdom of Gold," said he, 

 "or else I shall never see it ;" and he was right, 

 for it was the capital of the Kingdom of Gold. 



When he came into it he first of all asked which 

 was the King's palace, and, having discovered 

 it, he went into an inn which was just opposite, 

 and the landlord told him that there were three 

 beauteous Princesses in the palace, who were how- 

 ever enchanted, and could only be released by 

 the bridegroom of the youngest, who lived on the 

 other side of the three lakes and the giants' coun- 

 try, and that it was a great question when he 

 would ever come. The youth asked how the 

 bridegroom was to release the Princesses, since 

 the palace was fast closed, and it did not seem to 

 contain any living being. In answer to this the 

 landlord told him, that if the bridegroom went to 

 the palace in the right sort of carriage, and with 

 horses of the right colour, it would open of itself. 

 That was all he knew. 



Our hero now knew enough, for it was clear 

 that he alone could be the bridegroom. The next 

 day the purse did its duty, for he bought a black 

 carriage and six black horses, and hired several 

 servants, and clothed them all in black, and thus 



he drove to the palace. When the carriage came 

 near the gate it opened, and he found himself in 

 the great palace-yard. This, however, was empty 

 and deserted, and all the doors and windows were 

 shut and fastened ; a second door, which was op- 

 posite the one by which he had entered was the 

 only one which was open. The youth ordered his 

 coachman to drive right through, for he supposed 

 he should come into another courtyard, but he 

 found himself in the street, and the door closed 

 behind him. 



Then he perceived that these were neither the 

 right carriage nor the right horses ; so he bought a 

 magnificent brown carriage and six brown horses, 

 dressed all his servants in brown, and again drove 

 to the palace. The great gate sprang open before 

 the carriage, and he was in the palace-yard as be- 

 fore. This was as quiet and empty as it had been the 

 first time he entered it; only this time the windows 

 were all open so that you could see into the splen- 

 did rooms ; but the doors were still shut, and not 

 a living soul was to be seen. So he ordered his 

 coachman to drive through the other door, and he 

 had barely time to pass into the street before it 

 closed. 



The next day he bought a snow-white carriage 

 and six white horses, dressed all his servants in 

 white, and, thus prepared, drove to the palace. 

 When he was still at a great distance be looked, 

 and saw the large gate wide open ; flags were 

 flying from the roof, and as he approached guns 

 began to fire, so that the ground shook all round. 

 On entering he heard the sound of drums and 

 trumpets approaching, and found the courtyard 

 crammed full of magnificently-dressed courtiers 

 and ladies and servants, who surrounded his car- 

 riage, and received him most respectfully, in order 

 to conduct him into the palace. On the staircase 

 stood the King with his crown on his head, and 

 three lovely maidens by his side. But the youngest 

 and most beautiful of these ran to meet the youth, 

 and saidj "Welcome, my dearest deliverer!" And 

 they kissed each other, and were married that mi- 

 nute, and lived happily and lovingly all their life. 



Minor ^ateS, 

 Sir Roger Twtsden's Mince Pies. — 



" To make Mynce Pyes, A.D. 1630. 

 " Take a phillet of veale or a leag of mutton ; and when 

 it is parboj'led, shred it very smalle, then put to it three 

 pound of beefe suet shred likewise very smalle, then put 

 to it three pound of Corinthes well washt and pickt, 

 and one pound of sugar beaten. Of nutmegs and syn- 

 namon of each an ounce ; so put them in coffins or pyes, 

 and bake them. You must lay some of y= Corinthes at 

 toppe of ye meat, when they bee made, and must not 

 therefore mingle them all with the rest." 



Thus did the learned Sir Roger at Christmas, 

 and a right good receipt it seems to be. The 



