88 LEAVES FROM THE BOOK OF NATURE. 



truder. But better than gold and honor, is fair maiden's 

 love. And when the king's beautiful daughter smiled upon 

 the gazing crowd around her, and when her sweet lips 

 uttered words of gentle entreaty, the spell was woven, 

 and the bold heart found that would do her bidding, for- 

 getful of worldly reward, and alas ! unmindful, also, of the 

 word of the Almighty ! 



He was a bold seaman, and his companions called him 

 Pesce-Colo, Nick the Fish, for he lived in the ocean's 

 depths, and days and nights passed, which he spent swim- 

 ming and diving in the warm waters of Sicily. And from 

 the very cliff on which the king had spoken his taunting 

 words, from the very feet of his fair tempting child, he 

 threw himself down into the raging flood. The waters 

 closed over him, hissing and seething in restless madness, 

 and deeper and darker grew the fierce whirlpool. All 

 eyes were bent upon the gaping gulf, all lips were silent 

 as the grave. Time seemed to be at rest ; the very 

 hearts ceased to beat. But lo! out of the dark waves 

 there arises a snow-white form, and a glowing arm is seen, 

 and black curls hanging down on the nervous neck of 

 the daring seaman. And, as he breathes once more the 

 pure air of heaven, and as his eyes behold once more 

 the blue vault above him, he stammers words of thanks 

 to his Maker ; and a shout arose from cliff to cliff, that 

 the welkin rang, and the ocean's roar was hushed. 



But when their eyes turned again to greet the bold 

 man who had dared what God had forbidden, and man 

 had never ventured to do, the dark waters had closed 

 upon him. They saw the fierce flood rush up in wild 



