did not see why they made so much fuss about it, for he had not told them to go to some far away country, like China or India, since dragons could be found anywhere rising out of the sea and floating on clouds up and down the mountains.
The men seeing what a temper he was in, said, very well, they were ready to obey his commands no matter what they were.
Whereupon their lord smiling praised them for their fidelity and bidding them not to shew their faces again till they brought the dragon-jewel, opened his storehouses and took out all the silk, cotton, gold, and copper to serve as expenses for their travels and sent them away.
Since they had been commanded not to shew their faces without the dragon-jewel, |
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which they knew they could not obtain, they laughed at their lord for his foolish whim and, dividing the treasures up among them, set out in any direction to which their feet happened to point, each one spending his time to suit his own fancy.
Some returned secretly to their homes and lived with their families, others spent their lord's money in drinking and pleasure, but none of them returned to the palace.
Lord Lofty thinking that it would never do to let the Princess Splendor live in a common house, had a gorgeous palace built, with stained and lacquered woods, the roof thatched with silken threads, and the inside adorned with striped damask and all kinds of rich woven hangings.
Then, being so very sure of obtaining the princess, he dismissed all |
