flesh to put in the pot, and fire to boil it with,
So the beautiful woman led the way; and the
four maidens, (one of them had sea-green hair,
another a bodice of oak bark, a third sprinkled a
shower of water drops from her fingers' ends, and
the fourth had some other oddity, which I have
forgotten,) all these followed behind, and hurried
the guests along, until they entered a magnifi-
cent saloon. It was built in a perfect oval, and
lighted from a crystal dome above. Around the
walls were ranged two and twenty thrones, over-
hung by canopies of crimson and gold, and pro-
vided with the softest of cushions, which were
tasselled and fringed with gold cord. Each of
the strangers was invited to sit down; and there
they were, two and twenty storm-beaten mari-
ners, in worn and tattered garb, sitting on two
and twenty cushioned and canopied thrones, so
rich and gorgeous that the proudest monarch
had nothing more splendid in his stateliest hall.

Th?n you might have seen the guests nodding,
winking with one eye, and leaning from one
throne to another, to communicate their satis-
faction in hoarse whispers.

"Our good hostess has made kings of as all,"

[[186]]

p185 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p186w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p187

v?